
ASTER ST. ELMO 


THE 

AUTOBIOGRAPHY 
OF A CELEBRATED 
DOG 


ILLUSTRATED 


CARO SENOUR 



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Master St. Elmo 


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My Mistress and I Home after a Walk 


Master St. Elmo 

The Autobiography of a Celebrated 

Dog 


A True Story 

by 

CARO SENOUR 

Author and Composer of “Musical Poems” and “Flower Ballads” 



Thirty-eight Original Illustrations 


Publishers 

THE JUVENILE BOOK COMPANY 
2520 Quarry St., Chicago, 111., U. S. A. 




[LIBP*PV CONGRESS 

TWn Annies Solved 

OCT 17 1904 
Oooyrtft-ht emy 

tU'Zi dnt 




Copyright, 1904 

BY 

CARO SMITH -SENOUR 
( 


Master St. Elmo 



Dedicated to 

BEAUTIFUL JIM KEY 

The Most Wonderful Horse in 
the World 





ILLUSTRATIONS 


PAGE 


My Mistress and I Home after a Walk - - Frontispiece 

How do You do, Little People ? I am St. Elmo - - - xv 

“Just Think! I was Worth as Much as Two Other Dogs” 2 

My Little Master “James” and his Pet Rabbit - - 3 

Klondyke -------- 5 

Admiring our Lovely Back Yard - - - - - 21 

Fritz ______ _ _ 25 

The Wooden Indian - - - - - - 27 

Harold and I Celebrating the Glorious Fourth of July - - 29 

Live Deer at Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago - - - - 35 

Little Boy Blue - - - - - - -45 

“They had a Way of Making their Hair Frizz Up” - - 53 

Guarding Camp - - - - - - - -56 

Piggies Three Hours Old - - - - - 57 

I am Posing for my Picture - - - - - - 59 

Donald, Sloan, Mildred, Hazel - - - - - 63 

Nip --------- 66 

Tomahawk Rock - - - - - . -72 

“A Cold Elephant, and Quite Tame” - - - - 73 

Miss Guess -------- 7 5 

Two “Bosses” - - - - - - - -79 

“My Thoughts Turned to my Own Life, and I Collected my First 

Fragments of this Little Story for you. Dear Children” - 80 

“The Little Children-Cows did not Know but that I was their 

Brother - - - - - - - -81 

Handsome Prince, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago - - - 82 

My Friend Jack -------- 85 

Grateful Pinto - - - - - - - -89 

“She Took the Liberty One Day to Scratch Me on my Nose” - 98 

Quentin Durward - - - - - - -99 


IX 


X ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

Look at Me ! Togged up Like a Girl - - - - 103 

“I Myself Really can See that I Look Quite Manly” - - 105 

William Goaty - - - - - -' - -111 

When You See that his Name Looks “Billy Goat,” Run! Run! 

Run! -------- 112 

My Real Cousin “Dan” - - - - - -116 

Seal of the Louisiana Purchase, 1803 - 125 

Louisiana Purchase Monument, World’s Fair, St. Louis - - 128 

Festival Hall and Cascade Gardens, World’s Fair, St. Louis - 129 

Statue on Government Building, “ Liberty-a-Quadriga ” - - 135 

Texas Building, in the Shape of a Star - - - - 137 

Beautiful Jim Key Spelling “St. Elmo” at the “World’s Fair,” 

St. Louis -------- 141 

My Playthings - - - - - - - -153 


INTRODUCTORY 


To all lovers of animals, and especially of dogs, the 
“Autobiography of Master St. Elmo” will prove a delight. 
Many of the stories told of our four-footed friends are of 
homeless waifs, and our sympathies are enlisted because of 
their lowly estate. 

Not so with the story of “Master St. Elmo,” which is 
out of the ordinary — a life-tale of a dog of high degree, an 
aristocratic dog, to the purple born, as it were. No one who 
reads the true history of this celebrated dog can fail to be- 
come interested not only in St. Elmo, but in all other dumb 
creatures, for it reminds one that animals, like human beings, 
are susceptible to kind as well as to cruel treatment. 

It is with pleasure that I introduce this book to the public. 

Very cordially, 

Josephine Turck Baker, 
Editor “Correct English.” 


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Through the kindness of Mrs. Augusta Evans Wilson, the 
Author of the splendid novel entitled “St. Elmo,” and of her 
publishers, G. W. Dillingham Co., I have permission to use 
the title for my book “ Master St. Elmo.” The hero of my 
story having been named for the hero in the beautiful story 
of “St. Elmo.” 


CARO SENOUR. 


MY MOTTO 


By being kind to all animals, and by protecting Horses and 
Dogs, you are befriending man’s best and most faithful friends. 

—ST. ELMO. 













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How do You do, Little People ? 


I am St 


Elmo 



MASTER ST. ELMO 


CHAPTER I 

OW do you do, little people ? Permit me to 
introduce myself. I am St. Elmo, a tan-colored 
English greyhound, and I am six years old. 

I have a wide, white collar around my neck, 
a white shirt-front, and white stockings to the 
knees. On my four feet I have white “Oxford ties”; my 
face is the color of my body, with a white part in the center 
of my forehead. My eyes are light brown, to match my 
hair. I am going to be very personal, and talk a great deal 
about myself, which is not always becoming, but 1 wish to 
impress upon your minds that even a dog can reason, and, 
therefore, I crave your forgiveness. 

I am different from you, little friends, for I am always 
dressed. When I get up in the morning, I shake myself, and 
my coat and pantaloons are on, my hair is combed and face 
washed. I do not need a nurse-maid to dress me, but I 
seem to need one to tag me around, as I never can get away 
without some big person’s calling me, or running along to 
watch where I go. 

I suppose you know what an English greyhound is, but 
I do not; only one thing I feel sure about, it is not a very 
complimentary name, for I heard my master say one day, 
in reply to a question, that I was a “Johnny Bull”; then 
every one laughed. 

Well, I will tell you how I happened to live in this big 
city, Chicago. 

I was born way down in Texas, and when very young a 
l 



2 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


man took me away from my mother, brothers, and sisters, 
and brought me to a town in Kansas, called Topeka, where 
the wind blew so hard that I could not grow any hair; it all 
blew off; so that is why my hair is so short. A few days 



Just Think! I was Worth as Much as Two Other Dogs ” 


after I landed in that very windy town, I was spied by a 
little boy named James, who told the man that he would give 
him two of his foxhounds for me (just think! I was worth 
as much as two other dogs) . My ! I was glad to go to live 
with that little boy, for the man was cross and he did not 
know how to play with puppies, and I felt sure that the boy 
was taking me for his companion; so, soon we were the best 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


3 


of playfellows. I felt sorry for the other dogs that went to 
live with the cross man, who had taken me from my rela- 
tives (but then I’ve heard since that human beings sometimes 
give their babies away), so may be he was not so very bad. 
I was only three months old when I went to live with my 



My Little Master “ James ” and his Pet Rabbit 

first little master. He kept me, in the day-time, in a yard 
with a wire netting around, and oh ! how I wanted to get 
out and play in the other dogs’ yards. You know, children, 
other yards and other steps seem so much better than your 
own, no matter how nice and large yours are. I used to 
poke my long, pointed nose through the holes in the wire 
fence when the other dogs passed, the dogs that had such 
good times seeing the town, and finding their own food and 
beds. At night I slept on straw in the barn, and wanted 


4 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


my mother and brothers so much. Do you know that all 
animals’ hearts nearly break when they leave their loved 
ones and their homes ? That even the fierce lions mourn 
when their babies are taken from them, and when they are 
deprived of their freedom ? I used to cry at night for my 
mother. 

At the end of a week my little master, James, brought 
home another dog, and we soon became chums, and made 
things lively about the place. His name was Klondyke — 
they said he was a gold-mine. Of course I did not know 
what they meant by that. He was white with one black 
eye and a black tail. Folks said that he looked as if he had 
fallen into a coal-bin when coal was twelve dollars a ton, be- 
cause he did not match all over. Wasn’t I glad to have a 
bed-fellow ? He was short and fat, and I was long and lean, 
but we snuggled together and told each other our troubles, 
and after a time we felt quite contented with our lot. I 
rather envied Klondyke, for he was so small that he could 
sneak out under the fence, and he used to see lots of sights 
and had real scraps with other dogs. What a hero I thought 
him when he told me about licking a dog bigger than him- 
self. Sometimes I had to laugh when he came home with 
the other eye blacked, or his leg bleeding. He had found 
to his sorrow that he was not the only pugilist in Kansas. 
1 hope you will pardon me for using words like “licking,” 
but my little master said these wwds, and he was all right 
I thought, although he often got a whipping for saying such 
words. My! how hungry I always was before mealtime. 
I got the scraps left from the table after the big people’s 
dinner, and as there were three dogs, two cats, one cow, 
a pony, two rabbits, and lots of chickens, sometimes 
I did not get filled up. I then wished I was an only child. 

The family had another dog, a dignified, well-bred fox- 
terrier, and his name was “Rex”— that means king. He 
came before we did, so he felt his importance. He took 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


possession of the house, where we were not allowed, and 
he, of course, got the best things to eat. I, being so thin, 
there was a big place to fill in my stomach, consequently I 
went to bed hungry many a night, and I don’t know whether 
even now I ever get filled up. 



Klondyke 


That was a pretty good home, but not the one I have 
now, which I will tell you about later. My little master 
showed partiality (something a parent never should do). 
He would let Rex follow the pony, and oh! how much 
Klondyke and I wanted to go. Sometimes Klondyke did 
follow, and sometimes he came home in a hurry, too, yelp- 
ing, and glad he was to cuddle down to me; that was when 
his master had used the whip to drive him back. Don’t 


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MASTER ST. ELMO 


you think he was mean to us ? I tried to be very good, for 
I was frightened after the first and only whipping that I 
ever received. Klondyke seemed to forget how the whip 
felt, for he got lots of wallopings. I caught on from the first 
who was boss, so I made up my mind to be good, thinking 
to myself that when the gate was left open by mistake, and 
my master out of sight, I would run away and go back to 
my dear mother. I think little boys or girls who had been 
stolen from their mama would run home as soon as the 
chance came to do so. How should you like to be stolen 
from your mother ? Well ! we doggies have feelings, too, 
and our poor mothers cry for us, just the same as would 
yours. 


CHAPTER II 


The time never came for me to make my escape, but a 
way opened for me to become an only pet, in the way of a 
visitor to the family. This visitor was my present mistress, 
who owns me (although I often hear her tell some one that 
I own her). When they take me out for a walk I hear them 
tell folks, “St. Elmo does not follow us, but we follow him.” 
That is a mean thing to say, for a dog has to “rubber” 
around a little to enjoy himself, but my people want me to 
be a real dignified, well-bred canine, and walk in a straight 
line. Do you like to be so precise, boys ? 

I thought Topeka and that little back yard was the whole 
world when I was a puppy out there, and that Texas, where 
I was born, was another little back yard joined on (just as 
folks say in Chicago, that St. Louis is a suburb of Chicago). 
Wasn’t that a joke, to think all of this big world was just 
Topeka ? Every one makes some mistakes, and I never had 
studied geography nor traveled, so I want you to pardon me 
for not knowing better. Now I know that Chicago is all 
the world, and that all any one need know is, there is one 
great world, and that is Chicago. I feel very proud to be a 
citizen of this wonderful city (don’t laugh, boys, I pay my 
taxes each year, just as all good citizens should do). At times 
it is a little uncomfortable for a dog, as well as for children, 
that is when the landlords will not take us in their flats, or 
hotels, or boarding-houses, or when the conductors will not 
let us ride in the cars, or the policemen let us play on the 
grass in the parks; then it is we have a hard time living, and 
we are greatly alike in our need of sympathy. Then that 
bugbear of dogs, the “Dog-Catcher” (I want that name in 
the biggest type the printers have), keeps us in terror, and even 


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MASTER ST. ELMO 


if we have a tag on and are loyal citizens these cruel men will 
take us when they get a good chance, and then our masters 
have to go to the “Dog Pound” and pay five dollars, five 
great, big, silver wheels, to get us out — lots of poor unlucky 
dogs are not taken out; then the men kill them with gas, 
which is said just to put them to sleep and not hurt them; 
and if this is so, it is a humane way to do. How I wish 
every poor dog, horse, and in fact, every animal, could be 
killed in that way instead of being shot, for animals do not 
always die with the first shot, but suffer. I hope every one 
will try not to make us animals suffer, for we are dumb and 
can’t tell our troubles as children can, and we are not respon- 
sible for our being here. While I am on this subject, let 
me tell you where there is a good home for stray dogs and 
cats. That home is on N. Clark Street near Division Street, 
and is under the supervision of the ladies and children of 
the Anti-Cruelty Society. The Humane Society does lots of 
good also, so there is no need of poor, starving animals on 
our streets if each one will see that they are cared for. 
Dogs do not go mad from kindness; it is from hardships 
and abuse, and many a dog is killed for mad when he is 
only dazed by hunger and cold. I beg of you, children, to 
report all cases of cruelty that you see, and feed all hungry 
dogs and cats, birds, and all other helpless animals in our big 
cities. There is a nice little journal published in Springfield, 
Ohio, called “Pets and Animals,” which does a great deal to 
help the cause. It is only fifty cents a year, and well worth 
the price. Well, I was talking about flats and landlords when 
I switched off on the humane subject, which is my mistress’s 
hobby. I can’t say that I exactly blame landlords for refus- 
ing to have cats in their houses, for they are really so musical 
of nights that the other inhabitants can’t sleep. They enjoy 
perching on their neigh bor’s back fence in the wee hours of a 
moonlight night and telling their love-songs in such long 
drawn-out vibratory yowwwwwww-ouuuuuuuuuu’s that even 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


9 


a dog holds his ears shut. But then I like cats — most dogs 
do not. I would play with a cat if she would make friends 

with me, but she always sp at me, and puts up 

her back into such a hump, with her feathers all flying, that 
I get disgusted, and wonder if she knows how ugly she looks. 
That is the way I heard a lady say that her little boy and 
girl looked when they were cross and humped up their rose- 
bud lips ; but, of course, I don’t think any of my little readers 
do this, do you ? I like to see cats run up a tree; so, some- 
times when my mistress is not poking around, I chase them 
and stand under the tree and bark. I do this with squirrels, 
too, but I would not kill them, not even a rat. Why should 
I ? I don’t want to be killed, do I ? 


CHAPTER III 


Now, I will tell you how I happened to move to Chicago. 
While I was in Topeka there came to visit at our house a 
lady and a gentleman. One day while walking in the gar- 
den, the lady spied me, at the same time that I spied her. 
Well! it was “love at first sight.” I just ran to her, and 
she took me right up in her arms and squeezed me so hard 
that I felt my thin ribs squeak (she didn’t mean to hurt me; 
was just loving me), and I was overjoyed at being petted. 
But I cannot yet forget a mean thing that she did say about 
me; when she put me down she said, “My ! but he’s all legs,” 
and she also said, which I did not understand, that I was 
“A life boat on sticks.” I have forgiven her, however, as 
I love her very dearly now. After that my life changed, and 
my living, too, for she wanted to fatten me up before she 
took me home. To my dismay, one day I heard her say, 
“We’re going home to-morrow,” and if you ever saw a dog’s 
jaw drop and his ears droop and his tail fall between his 
legs, you have seen my picture at that minute. What was I 
to do P Poor me ! I went over in a corner and wished again 
for my dear mother. That night I had dreams of cruel 
men, whips, and bones, all night. I ran to the lady (I did not 
know her name then), in the morning, when she came out 
in the garden, with my ears and head down and my eyes so 
bloodshot from crying that she knew in a minute that I was 
unhappy. She read my thoughts at once, for she said, 
“Should you like to go home with me, little dog ?” (I had 
no name as yet.) I jumped up and licked her hand, and 
wagged my tail so hard that it nearly wagged off — then she 
knew that I had said “Yes.” Turning to my little master 
James, she said, “Well, James, I will give you three dollars 

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MASTER ST. ELMO 


11 


for your yellow purp.” Was not that complimentary to me ? 
How my heart thumped against my thin sides, for I knew 
three dollars was an awful big lot of money. My little master 
had only pennies to count and spend, so I thought it was a 
joke, for how could I be worth three big silver dollars ? I 
decided that my days would be spent in the barn. But to 
my surprise the lady took out three big silver wheels and 
gave them to my little master, and took me up in her arms 
for a second time and said, “Well, puppy, you belong to 
me now, and I shall name you ‘St. Elmo.’ ” You bet, I was 
as happy as the boy who got his first pair of boots or pants 
with pockets in. I could not thank my new mistress enough, 
and I will tell you right here that 1 have never regretted 
being sold to her. I did have a sorry feeling in my throat 
when I said “good-by” to Klondyke, for I knew he would 
miss me. I tried to tell the lady to buy him, too, but she 
did not understand me this time — maybe she did know, 
for I heard her say, “One dog is enough.” A year later I 
heard that Klondyke had another good home, and that he 
could run and play outside the yard, so he was happy. 
Poor Rex, the pet of the household, ate some poisoned meat 
in an alley and died. He was a lovely fox-terrier, and the 
family all cried when he died. 


CHAPTER IV 


The day after I was bought for three dollars, the folks went 
down town and brought back a bright collar and chain for 
me, and I was so tickled. That afternoon I went for my first 
walk, and when we got to the corner of the street such a 
big thing went whizzing by that my eyes almost popped out 
of my head. I was scared plumb through. When it 
stopped, the next thing I knew I was in this big, noisy 
monster, and was jerked from one side to the other until I 
wished I had not left my little, quiet home. Can you guess 
what this big monster was ? I know, since I am educated. 
It was an electric street-car. Soon we got to the biggest 
house I had ever seen, with “Depot” in bright letters over 
the door; and pretty soon another monster, this time an 
Iron Horse, came puffing and snorting along, and stopped 
right in front of me. My! I was shaking all over. Didn’t 
you get frightened, boys, the first time you saw red sparks 
fly up in the air and hot water blow out of the sides of this 
monster; and whistles and bells making such a noise that you 
were getting deaf P They call this frightful monster a loco- 
motive, big folks do. I thought how very nice it would be to 
be back in my cozy little barn, where such noises never 
reached us, and to snuggle down to Klondyke. You see, one 
is never satisfied, one always wants something different from 
what one has — it is just the same with man and beast. The 
worst was yet to come. My new master (he also seemed to 
belong to my mistress, so I guess she bought him for three 
dollars, too) took me into a big barn on wheels, where trunks 
and boxes were piled up, and he chained me to a hot- water 
coil (that is what the man said) — you see I know lots now, 
for I live in Chicago, where every one knows everything. 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


13 


To my surprise, I was left in this big barn on wheels, 
with a strange man, who patted me on the head, and said 
he would look after me. He gave me a drink of water, and 
was very kind, so I made up my mind from that time to be 
good to everybody, and then everybody would be good to 
me. This has been my motto ever since, so this world is one 
big joke to me. The baggage-man made me a bed on some 
bags filled with hard papers, and once more I thought what a 
nice, soft bed Ivlondyke was snoozing on, the soft straw in 
the dear old barn. I spent most of the night thinking of 
my old home, and wondering where my new mistress had 
gone, as I could not see her, and I was hurrying along some- 
where so rapidly that it almost took my breath away. May- 
be, thought I, we are going back to get Klondyke. I hoped 
so, for that same big lump came up in my throat and almost 
choked me, when I thought I should never see him again. 
I tried to console myself by thinking that my new master 
was somewhere near, asleep on another hard bed like mine, 
in this noisy flying-machine; so, at last, from fatigue I fell 
asleep. All of a sudden a big whistle blew. How my heart 
jumped up into my mouth. Then the man packed more 
trunks up, and made such a noise that I thought what a lucky 
dog Klondyke was. I was the one now that wanted to 
cuddle down to him and tell my troubles. I did not howl, 
as some dogs do, as I felt sure the man wanted to be good to 
me, but did not know how, or he would not have blown the 
whistles. I got my reward for being good the next morn- 
ing, when, to my joy,. my mistress appeared, and spoke for 
the second time, my name, “St. Elmo.” “Come to me!” 
she said. Well! walking was too slow; I just jumped and 
leaped to reach her, and I told her in as plain words as a 
dog can, how glad I was to see her and to be out again in the 
fresh air with my deliverer. 

We stopped a day and a night in Lawrence, where the 
people met us at the depot with a carriage. I had never 


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MASTER ST. ELMO 


seen one of these trotting-machines, but I knew that when 
anything stopped in front of me now, I must get into it, so I 
was the first one in, not knowing how rude it was to be the 
first and leave the ladies to get in last. I am more polite 
now. I had been shoved into everything in front of me ever 
since I began traveling, so, of course, I got in, and took the 
whole seat, spreading out as much as possible for my com- 
fort. How the folks laughed. My master, however, made 
me sit on the floor, and how I had to strain my long neck to 
see out of the window, for I did not want to miss anything. 

We visited some pleasant friends in Lawrence, who gave 
me lots to eat, and let me play with their big dog, Punch. 
He was a brown water-spaniel, such a kind, smart dog. My 
mistress liked him very much, and so did I. My experience 
there is something I can never forget. It was planned for me 
to sleep that night in the basement with Punch, so the lady 
took me by the chain and started down a flight of stairs. I 
pulled back, for my! I was so scared when I looked down, 
because I had never seen a pair of stairs, and did not know 
how to get down. Did you, when you were three months old P 
I just stood still, and she nearly pulled my head off; still I 
held on, braced against the banister and the first landing. 
But soon my mistress thought of a way to help me, so she got 
in front and put first my right foot and then my left foot on 
the next step, and so on until I was down. 

Is it not a funny feeling to go head-first down to nowhere ? 
I believe even boys would be afraid to go downstairs head 
first. That night I had some good milk for supper, and a 
soft bed to sleep upon, and Punch for company, so I de- 
cided that I was progressing rapidly in the upper classes of 
society. What a relief it was not to hear those horrid noises. 
I slept so soundly that night that my mistress had to call me 
three times in the morning before I could get my eyes open. 
Then I had another lesson in stepology. This time the lady 
pulled again, and my mistress pushed from behind, causing 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


15 . 


me to knock my thin knees against the^sharp edges of the 
steps, and to fall all the way up. Sometimes I was on my 
knees, and part of the time on my feet, but they kept on 
pulling until I was once more at the top, dizzy, but thankful 
that the lesson was over. You see, I have always had a 
school in my own house, with just one pupil (and that pupil 
poor me), but three teachers; so I think I have had a harder 
time than if my school had fifty pupils, for I am watched 
every minute, and so much more is expected of me. After 
that experience I decided that if there were any more steps to 
climb, Master St. Elmo would climb them by himself, ask- 
ing no assistance. 


CHAPTER V 


I told you in chapter four how I got home after this little 
visit in Lawrence, which is near Topeka, so I will continue 
my story from my arrival at the depot in Chicago, after that 
long ride on the “choo-choo” cars (that is what a little boy 
called them). We reached Chicago in the day-time, so 1 
had a chance to see what a clean, smokeless, quiet, easy- 
going, unpretentious, exclusive, and wonderful city Chicago 
was; and indeed it is wonderful, if it is not entitled to all 
the adjectives stated above, but I never will go back on my 
home now, and I will lick any dog that will say a word about 
our great Chicago. I heard a big man say one day that the 
United States was in Chicago, so I know now all about it. 

From the depot in Chicago on my way to my mistress’s 
house^ we had to ride on another of those barns on wheels, 
but when I started to get on, a big man of great importance, 
with brass buttons on his coat, said, “Dogs can’t ride, 
madam, on these cars”; and my poor mistress felt so sorry, 
she said to him, “Oh, but my dog can, for I will pay his 
fare, and keep him on the platform.” So at last he con- 
sented, and we had to stand up for about two miles. I did 
not care for myself, but I felt sorry for my mistress. The 
man said she could go in, but my mistress said she would 
not go where her dog could not go. But to think that I had 
cost a great big five cents again ! I surely was becoming 
quite an expensive luxury. 

We arrived at last at what was to be my future home, 
and I knew, by this time, that I had won the heart of the 
strange lady, and that I was to be hers always. I was puzzled 
once more in this house, for I had lived only on one floor 
before, and here was a house above with folks living in it, 

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MASTER ST. ELMO 


17 


and before I could get my senses together to figure out this 
problem, I heard my mistress from above call, “Come up 
to me, St. Elmo !” I was way down somewhere alone, 
and she was way up nowhere, as I supposed, so with one 
bound I started up those high, slippery (I did not know they 
were like that then), ungrateful steps, forgetting my first 
lesson in step-climbing, but finding another lesson they had 
not taught me, the way to fall down stairs, so I rolled back 
to the last step, for I could not get hold of the waxy steps. 
I was not hurt, but my feelings were most cruelly injured. 
I pretended, however, that I was abused and hurt, so in a 
few minutes (it seemed an hour), the lady came to me, who I 
know now by the name of mama, and she said, “Poor, little, 
long-legged dog, are you hurt ?” I put my head on her lap, 
and felt that I had found a real mother. She helped me 
up those horrid stairs, and said that she was sorry for me, 
that she herself did not like slippery stairs; that she believed 
in carpets, more for comfort, and not for style. She also 
consoled me by telling me that she fell down those steps once, 
and hurt her arm, and that she was more than four months 
old. From that time I knew whom to go to when I was in 
trouble. That night was the first experience I ever had in a 
house. I slept on the floor in the hall by my master’s door, 
upon the softest bed I had ever known. Before I made that 
desperate plunge upstairs, I had noticed a comfortable couch 
in a room, and I thought to myself, that is my bed, for I shall 
at once begin to usurp what I wish. At the first peep of day 
I got up and shook myself and walked to the top of the stair- 
way and looked down. Everything was so shiny. The 
steps looked like glass, so I hesitated. What if my mistress 
should look out of her door and catch me ! Then I thought, 
I can surely get down without assistance, so I put one trem- 
bling foot down, just on the first step, when — somebody 
pulled a string and those stairs seemed to close up, and the 
next thing I knew I landed in a heap on the first landing be- 


18 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


low, with such a bang that I woke the entire household, each 
one running to the head of the stairs and looking over the 
banisters at poor me. By that time I had collected my re- 
maining thoughts together, so I could pose in a most de- 
jected style, with my head down, my long tail between my 
legs, my ears drooped, and forming, as the people said, a 
sad and forlorn living picture. Oh ! how I wished I had 
never spied that enticing couch ; that soft bed upstairs on the 
floor was good enough for me right then. My mistress ran 
down, and, to my surprise, instead of whipping me as I had 
expected and deserved, she sat down and took me in her lap, 
and patted my poor, dazed head. My wounds healed rap- 
idly, and I went back to bed, with her assistance, and never 
tried that again (while little). For some time after that 
awful downfall to my pride, I always turned my head side- 
wise when I passed that couch, so as not to see the horrid 
thing, for it made a dizzy feeling come over me. The bed at 
my master’s door served for several months, until one night 
I discovered a door open and a room unoccupied. In the 
mean time I had noticed that all the family had high beds 
to sleep upon, with white coverlets, and I often rested my 
nose on them and knew they were nice and soft. I won- 
dered if they were good enough for the family, why they 
wouldn’t be just the thing for me, and save them making an 
extra bed up for me on the floor. So, one morning I quietly 
got up on that unoccupied bed, and found solid comfort at 
last — that is, for a dog. What a dandy sleep I was enjoying, 
when my master discovered me, and with one flat-handed, 
evenly balanced spank, I landed in a hurry on the floor. 
Did you ever get one like that, boys ? 

Oh, dear ! what a sad fate, but what a soft bed. I found 
out later that this was my mistress’s best guest-chamber, 
all dressed up in lace and stuff (that is not necessary for soft- 
ness or sleep). It did seem that I was possessed to do every- 
thing that a dog should not do, but I always have watched 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


19 


out for soft snaps, and I usually get them, for people every- 
where are so good to me. Of course, my own family have to 
discipline me a little. I often wonder if my little readers 
ever need any such lessons. When I grew larger and 
stronger, I tried another scheme, for I was always looking 
for comfort, and this time it worked. As the first blush of 
the rosy dawn peeped through the hall window, I crept 
noiselessly down those same steps (not so slippery, for my 
sharp nails had worn them off so I could get a grip now), 
into the library, and there I would spend the rest of the 
morning upon that couch which I had so dreaded in my 
early childhood, but which now is “dreamland” for me. 
I used to do this every morning, and for a time I was scolded, 
but I persevered, and at last I conquered, and this finally 
became my own bed ; and now when we all go away for the 
summer, my bed is shipped with us. Soon after, they moved 
it up into the front bedchamber, and bought a new leather 
couch for the library. I sleep in the family bedroom always, 
and no one ever thinks of usurping my throne. One eve- 
ning I found my mistress resting on the couch, so I ran to the 
closet door where my whip hung, and took the whip to 
my master, and he got right up and whipped my mistress off, 
just as they used to do with me. How glad I was that she 
was bad, too. I never get any hard whippings, but I pre- 
tend they hurt, and I yelp. Our people do not believe in 
whipping children or animals; they think it demoralizes 
them. My mistress stops all the cruel men that she sees 
whipping horses, or abusing any animal, and reports them 
to the Humane Society, and she hopes all people and children 
will do likewise, for she loves children and animals best of 
anything in the world. I know, because she said so. 


CHAPTER VI 


The family had a nice back yard full of beautiful flowers 
when they brought me home, and I was delighted to play in 
that yard for several weeks. I had no companions as yet, and 
as I was left out there all day I made friends with the flowers. 
I amused myself by getting acquainted with the vines, the 
flowers, and the grass. I dug tunnels in the velvety lawn as 
large as my body, and I would get right down into them and 
be almost out of sight. Oh, what fun, boys ! Once I had 
seven good-sized tunnels all in working order; that was my 
busy day, and when my master discovered them, it became 
his busy day, for he used his hands freely upon my poor 
body. He seemed to object to my spending so much time 
in improving his back yard, and he tried to reason with me; 
but I was a little thickheaded, and did not comprehend. 
Later on however, he understood me, and I mastered him, 
and preserved the lovely back yard for my own use all that 
fall. Until the next spring my master’s dainty yard, the 
pride of his heart, became a wonderful yard of subways. 
What surprised me the most was, that after I had romped 
around for a day or so, the grass disappeared as by magic, 
and not a blade of grass could be seen. You know how you 
feel when you are very happy. Well, that was the way I felt 
as soon as I reached our lovely back yard. That December, 
when the flowers had died (the ones I had left by neglect), 
I felt a curious desire to see where they came from, so I dug 
way down into the ground and pulled up bulbs and roots, 
and spaded the garden up in fine shape. At this time my 
master decided to turn over the garden to me, so he quit. 
The one mean thing that I did do, and that I was ashamed 
of when I grew older, was, after I had cleared the yard of 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


21 


bushes, bulbs, sticks growing up straight, and other unde- 
sirable things, I discovered that I had left a vine clinging to 
the side of the barn ; and as I was doing a regular weeding-out 



Admiring our Lovely Back Yard 

business, I ran up to it and put my strong teeth around the 
tender stems, and then I ran as far out as I could, pulling it 
all down and breaking it off at the roots. I did get a re- 
minder for that piece of work in the shape of one, two, three, 
four, the four being much harder than the rest. I was glad 
then I had learned to count only up to four, or they might 


22 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


have continued. You know what I mean; I can see you 
laugh at my expense. 

The next spring when another vine was planted in the 
same place I looked at it with my eyes shut, when I had 
occasion to pass it; and as to the flowers and plants, I was 
willing to turn them and the entire garden over to the right- 
ful owner. 

As to the holes in the yard, I refused to dig any more, 
and I guess my master would have liked me to dig some 
for he used to take a spade and dig, dig, dig; but I never 
offered to help him. The grass failed to grow after that in 
our back yard, but the faithful flowers came back to please 
my master. 

When I had to give up this source of pleasure, I got into 
all sorts of mischief. I enjoyed playing jokes on our cook, 
Miss Ellen, who really did love me. One day I had her 
scared; she thought that “Taffy” had been in her kitchen 
and had stolen a loaf of bread, for when she was in the other 
room, I had quietly taken her loaf of bread and was playing 
ball out in that very same back yard. That nice white 
bread I had soon molded into brown bread, in a much shorter 
time than it took her to make it white. My! but she 
was mad, and the family did without bread for dinner that 
day. I think now that that back yard sort of inspired me, 
for I did all kinds of mischievous things as soon as I made 
its acquaintance. Another day Ellen had set the table, and 
by this time I had grown tall enough to rest my nose on the 
table and see what the family were going to have for dinner. 
Upon this particular day I saw a shiny silver ball resting 
on a little silver stand, and I thought it would be such a giddy 
plaything, so I put my front feet up into the seat of the chair 
and helped myself. Do you think it is wrong to want things 
that you see ? I spent a jolly five minutes tossing it up 
and catching it in my mouth, but soon I had my mouth 
full of tea. Just think ! tea in my mouth. This I was told 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


23 


afterwards was my mistress’s pet tea-ball. Well, you should 
have seen the ball. It was a flat ball when I had finished 
with it, and it had to go to the doctor’s and get fixed up 
again; and now, when you put on your “ specks,” you can 
find a wee hole where my tooth accidentally tunneled. Of 
course our guests do not know that I chewed it all up, so 
they enjoy the tea just the same. 


CHAPTER VII 


I was very green when I first came to live on Calumet 
Avenue, and there was a little fox-terrier named Fritz, that 
thought he knew everything. He would not associate with 
the other dogs on the block, and was really very much 
“stuck up,” so I could not but feel a little green when he 
showed so plainly his Chicago education to me. I was “hail 
fellow, well met” sort of chap, so up I ran to him the first 
time that I saw him; when, to my surprise, he made such a 
funny, bass sound from somewhere in his make-up, at the 
same time showing me his pearly, well-kept teeth, that I ran 
home for fear he might do as that big Iron Horse did, — 
send forth sparks and smoke. 

I wondered for many days whether that was the proper 
introduction for a society dog and a country dog. I had 
much to learn. After I had lived on his street for a month, 
and he had seen other fashionable dogs play with me, and 
people pet me (especially his master) , he thought I was worth 
knowing. Then he tried to make up and get some of 
the attention; so he came waltzing up to me; but I stood 
firm, and said to him in as deep a bass voice as I could, 
“Boo !” and showed my big teeth; then I walked away with 
such dignity as only a well-bred animal can show, and he ran 
home to his “ma,” and she shamed him and said, “That is 
what you deserved, Fritz, for being so discourteous to a new, 
unacquainted neighbor.” I did not want to fight, although 
I knew I could whip lots of dogs, as I was so big and strong; 
but I also knew that it was not refined to quarrel or fight, 
for my master said so, and he never had a fight. After that, 
Fritz and I “never spoke as we passed by,” although each 
Christmas we exchange presents. He sent me a stuffed cat 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


25 


last year with this tender greeting, “A merry Christmas, 
from your dear friend Fritz.” I will say here that he is a 
very smart dog and very pretty, as you can see by the picture, 
and I have no hard feelings toward him now that we live 
fifteen miles apart, and I should like to have him come 
out and visit me, where dogs can breathe the air of freedom 
in good, peaceful Riverside. I must tell you of one present 
that Fritz sent me. It was a little white, curly-haired dog 
on rollers. I had never played 
with such dainty toys, so I just 
handled it as 1 did my bones. 

Pretty soon, while I was having 
so much fun tossing him up and 
romping hard, what did that 
naughty dog do but drop out 
two eyes, let fall his bell, tied 
with a pretty pink ribbon, and 
sprinkle his sawdust insides all 
over the parlor carpet. My ! 
what should I do now ? So I 
sat down with my poor dog be- 
tween my paws, and wondered 
how I could get his insides in again and put in his 
eyes. While I was fussing with him, what did the un- 
grateful fellow do but drop his ear in front of my paw; 
that made me cross, and I went to work at once to get 
at the foundation of his anatomy, and so I pulled off 
each roller, took off his other ear, grabbed him by the tail 
and threw him across the room, when, horrors ! his tail stayed 
in my mouth, but the dog had landed on my mistress’s best 
bric-a-brac, and — Bang! I heard something go. Poor 
me! Had Santa Claus been good to St. Elmo? No! I 
wished I had not been presented with a Christmas gift, and 
especially a puzzle-put-me-together dog, for I could see no 
way to put him back as he was. I tried to look innocent 



26 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


when my master came in, but somehow my folks can always 
tell just by my looks when I have been in mischief; so he 
asked me what kind of battle had been going on here, then 
he picked up the poor doggie’s eyes (which were two black 
shoe-buttons); then he found the ears, the tail came next, 
but where was the dog ? No one could find the dog. I 
really hoped he had run back to Santa Claus to get re- 
paired, but no such good luck. My mistress appeared, her 
sharp black eyes spied her broken treasure, and also poor, 
disabled doggie, that could not get away, and that broke the 
unnecessary article, which really was in the way, anyhow. 
I was talked to and reasoned with, but not whipped, as I 
heard them say that it was too cunning in him to whip him. 
I had a little trouble, though, getting the fuzz out of my 
mouth and teeth, for the dog was so covered with wool that 
I could not avoid getting some off. 

I wonder if it hurt him, as it does me when they pull 
my tail ? His nose didn’t come off, so I think it was ticked 
on. My nose was full of sawdust and fuzz after the tussle, 
and I sneezed and sneezed and sneezed. If I am made of 
sawdust like that puzzle dog, I hope another bad dog will 
some time get his fill of sawdust, as I did. 

The Sunday-school teaches us to forgive and forget; so 
I have forgiven Fritz, but I still have a lingering nightmare 
of his Christmas gift to me of an ungrateful woolly-dog. 


CHAPTER VIII 



One day during that winter, I went for a walk with my 
mistress on Thirty-first Street, and while passing along, I 
saw, to my terror, a big In- 
dian standing right on the 
sidewalk a few feet from 
us, leaning against the front 
door of a store. My! I 
made one leap into the 
street, and I thought he was 
after me. He was all 
dressed up in leather, and 
blue, and red, and all colors, 
and had feathers on his 
head. I thought that if he 
killed poor birds to get his 
hat, that he might want me 
to make some tan leggings 
out of, for he held in his 
hand a bright glistening 
tomahawk. I thought 
surely he would kill my 
mistress, ’cause she stood 
right under him, calling to 
me. I wondered why she 
did not run. Maybe she 
was so frightened she could 
not run, so I decided to 
protect her, regardless of 
my own safety. I ran up a 
little nearer and gave one The Wooden Indian 


27 


28 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


of my biggest bass-barks, but he did not move an inch; 
so I repeated it several times, each time more loudly and 
more emphatically, but still he gazed down upon us with 
that frightful hatchet ready to kill us. I did not know 
what to do next, but my mistress seemed so composed 
that I really thought she did not know a desperate red 
man from my master, for she was not one bit more 
frightened than when he is around. My senses came back 
with a shock when my mistress said in a loud voice, so 
that all the other dogs could hear, “What a goose you are, 
St. Elmo ; that Indian is only a stick of wood ; he is a wooden 
man, a cigar sign, put there to show naughty men and very 
naughty boys where they can buy tobacco, which under- 
mines their health and makes their breath and clothes ob- 
noxious.” I was very much chagrined. Now I look twice 
at a man to make sure he is not wooden, before I bark and give 
any one a chance to call me names. What is a goose, boys ? 
I always thought I was a dog. 


CHAPTER IX 



Hurrah for the Fourth of July! Hurrah! Hurrah! Hur- 
rah! When Fourth of July came that year I was told that 
it was my birthday, that i 
was one year old, and that 
I was to begin school-days 
from that time ; so my mis- 
tress said that I should bark 
once when people said ‘‘How 
old are you, little dog ?” and 
that when people said, “How 
do you do ?” for me to hold 
up my right paw and shake 
hands; something I never 
forget to do now, when peo- 
ple are polite to me. My 
mistress also read to me a 
poem which she wrote for 
the school children, and they 
spoke it on Mr. George 
Washington’s birthday an- 
niversary, February 22, 1898, 
and the paper printed it, so 
I guess it is all right. I will 
repeat it to you, with your 
kind permission (that is Harold and I Celebrating the 
what big folks say, when Glorious Fourth of July 

they want to read something 

that they wrote and that they think is good, but kind of 
want to apologize for reading). As Fourth of July is Mr. 
George Washington’s day also, I think it is quite appropri- 


30 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


ate to print it here, don’t you ? My mistress gave me quite 
a talk upon patriotism, and explained all about the glorious 
Fourth of July. 

THE STARS AND STRIPES SHOULD WAVE 

[By the courtesy of the “ Chicago Daily Tribune.”] 

Some hundred years and twenty, 

In the old colonial days, 

A deed was done by one to save, 

Who won our country’s praise. 

He was father, friend, and brother, 

He was gallant, true, and brave; 

And it is for him — George Washington — 

The Stars and Stripes should wave. 

There were many willing followers, 

Who laid down plow and spade 
To join their brave commander 
In the cause to “Die or save.” 

They fought the fight which now to-day 
Glad shouts of freedom ring, 

And it is for these, our nation’s brave, 

The Stars and Stripes should wave. 

We must not forget the later years 
That brought us freedom, too, 

And those who bore the same old flag 
With Stars and Stripes anew; 

They were also gallant soldiers, 

Noble boys in faded blue, 

And it is for these, our nation’s brave, 

The Stars and Stripes should wave. 

With Stars and Stripes suspended, 

Telling each their story old 
Of the deeds of gallant soldiers, 

Our loyal boys so bold, 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


31 


We will ever praise and honor 
Those who fell; yes, but to save, 

In the cause which makes us bow our head 
When we see 4 ‘Old Glory” wave. 

My mistress says that Fourth of July is not wholly in- 
tended for play and noise, but that it is a day for thankful- 
ness, for had it not been for the “Father of our Country,” 
General George Washington, and his gallant soldiers, we 
might yet have been ruled by the little strip of land across 
the sea, not larger than one of our states. You all know 
that the Declaration of Independence insures us the bless- 
ings of liberty, and that the “Star Spangled Banner” waves 
over every man, woman, and child in our beloved country, 
protecting, and making us all better under its floating colors. 
One of these beautiful flags hangs in our house always, and 
whenever my mistress goes away she takes a small silk flag 
with her, which was made for her, and hangs it in her 
room wherever she stays. I wish every child would hang 
a flag in the house that he lives in, for there is no 
picture so grand, no statue so imposing, no decoration 
so harmonious, as our honored and beloved flag with 
the red, white, and blue — the red stripes as emblems 
of our strength, the white for purity and love, the blue 
the emblem of our trust and truth, and the stars the 
emblem of protection, watching over us all, as the little stars 
in the blue of the heaven watch o’er us each night. God’s 
flag is the blue of the heaven striped with the red of the sun- 
sets, and His stars are the little bright eyes of His angels. 
His mighty flag forever and forever waves o’er us, and we 
feel sure of His protection ; therefore, with such an emblem of 
loyalty above us, we must feel the same protection on our 
land with “Old Glory’’ waving over us. 


CHAPTER X 


On this most remarkable morning, my first birthday, we 
hung out our flags the first thing. After a while there began 
the loudest noises that I had ever heard (I thought that 
the big Iron HoRse was after me again). Most dogs, they 
tell me, run and hide when the Fourth of July comes around, 
but I was delighted as soon as I understood it was all play 
noise. I wanted to go right up to the big fire-crackers and 
see where the noise came from, but my master explained 
them to me, and said that should I go up to one and it was 
lighted, it would blow my head off; so, boys, you must 
be careful and not be too curious. I spent all the day 
watching and playing with the children ; the louder the noise 
the better I enjoyed myself. I could not eat my breakfast, 
dinner, or supper— I had to stay right wfith the fun. The 
girls on our block had little round torpedoes to slam down 
on the sidewalk, but of course that was tame for the boys 
and me, so we fired off crackers. That night I was so tickled 
that I could not eat my supper; I was afraid I should miss 
something. I sat with my family on the front porch, watch- 
ing the beautiful colored lights, and listening to the guns. 
The funny things that interested me most were the bal- 
loons soaring up into the air and the long-tailed fire-serpents 
sailing so gracefully against the blue sky, their little sparks 
matching the stars peeking through the heaven and drop- 
ping down in thousands, making even the stars wonder what 
these miniature starlets were which were adding so much 
beauty to their own far-away candled canopy of blue. I 
wonder what made them go so high and after a second dis- 
appear, just as though they had not been there at all. My! 
how things do puzzle me. I wonder if other little people 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


33 


know the reason for such mysterious freaks of nature. I no 
sooner got through watching one big fiery snake shoot up 
than a red or blue or green light would dazzle my eyes ; then 
a boom ! boom ! boom ! and then another serpent, so my 
neck was almost stretched out of repairable shape. Still I 
had the best time of my life, and thought it the funniest day I 
had ever seen, and congratulated myself on having been born 
on the glorious Fourth of July, so every one could enjoy him- 
self celebrating my birthday. 


CHAPTER XI 


Soon after this I noticed that the trunks were being packed, 
so I knew something extra was going on. I stayed as close 
to them and to my mistress’s heels as I could. I, of course, 
wanted to go also. We did go in August to a place 
called Minocqua, and this was my first summer outing. I 
know now that it is very stylish and swell to leave home in the 
summer, and quite the proper thing for fashionable dogs to be 
taken to summer resorts. As this was my first experience, I 
made many blunders and acted like a real country dog. The 
first thing I did when we landed at Minocqua was to make a 
bee-line for the first house that I saw, which happened to be 
a villa, and up I went and all through the house without in- 
troducing myself. After startling the whole family, I went 
into the next cottage and saw all that they had, arousing the 
children and causing great commotion, for I always rushed 
then instead of walking quietly. I was so excited that my 
people could not get me, for as soon as they visited one place, 
I had finished with that and was investigating another. I 
heard a little boy say to his mama, “There is a little fawn 
out on our lawn, come and see!” I soon realized what it 
meant to be called, or- at least taken for, a fawn or a deer 
up in the wilds of Wisconsin; so I obeyed after my first 
lecture on hunters of deer, and Indians shooting deer, and 
stayed at home except when my folks took me into the woods 
with them. You see, I am the color of the deer in the sum- 
mer time, and at a distance I could be shot for one if I were 
seen alone in the dense forests and brush. My mistress says 
that there is a fine exhibit of deer in the Field Columbian 
Museum in Jackson Park, in Chicago, showing them in 
all their different changes of coat and in each season. These 

34 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


35 


are of course dead deer, mounted, but they are perfect, and 
all children should see them if possible. The live deer are 
at Lincoln Park Zoo. This first day at Minocqua I had a 
scrap. There was another pet dog that was boss of all this 
place; her name was “Peggy,” commonly called “Peg”; 
she was a brown water-spaniel and very much spoiled. She 
looked sidewise at me with a wild gaze, and I saw trouble 
brewing. As I was to 
be there three weeks, 

I decided to settle this 
little matter about pos- 
session at an early date, 
as soon as she wanted 
me to do so, and as 
politely as I could, see- 
ing she was supposed 
to be a lady. I went 
down to the lake show- 
ing my independence 
and importance, and 
on the way back, I saw 
an old torn straw hat, 
such as the best fisher- 
men wear to catch fish ; 
as it was not owned by any one apparently, and as I was 
rather bored at not having anything to do, I picked it up, 
and began to shake it, running up and down, passing 
the house where she lived, and enjoying myself immense- 
ly; when suddenly from around the corner of the house 
popped Miss Peggy; she took hold of one side of the brim, 
and I held to the other, she growling and saying, “You 
let go of this hat; it belongs to me.” I said in reply, very 
politely, “Miss Peggy, I found this hat and it is mine, kindly 
let go. ” She still held on and pulled, when r-r-rip went the 
hat, but still we each held fast. Rip, rip went the old hat; 



36 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


still we pulled, but this time the fair damsel parted from 
the hat with only a tiny bit of it in her dainty mouth as a 
souvenir. I dropped the hat and put my big foot down 
upon it with a firm hold, and looking at her with a most 
decided expression, I said, “I got this first.” She under- 
stood, and after that we became great chums. She took me 
around the place, and even shared some bones with me. It 
is sometimes necessary to show T the fair sex that we, the strong 
and heroic, have our rights also. 

These people at “The Villa” had another pet, a most 
comical kind of a screeching pet. I guess she named her- 
self, for she kept calling most of the time, “Poor Lauretta. ’ ’ 
She never seemed to me to be poor, for her cage was filled 
each day with fresh food and water. People called her a 
parrot. She was indeed very beautiful to look upon, her 
color being green with red on her head; she was all right if 
she had not wanted the first and the last word always; but 
she talked when no one was around, and when they came, 
she would keep on talking, and really I got awdully tired of 
hearing her say ‘ ‘ Poor Lauretta, ” “ Polly wants a cracker, ’ ’ 
when she was full of crackers. I never got very close to her 
cage as I was afraid she would snap at me, for she used to 
hump up her back and look just as cats do — and I have had 
my experience with cats — so 1 kept as far away from Lauretta 
as possible. How she used to fool us, that is “Peg” and 
me. We never did learn the difference between her voice 
and “Peg’s” little master “Juny, ” for each one used to 
call “Here Peg, here Peg,” and of course we both ran to 
the little master, when lots of times it was that naughty bird 
calling “Here Peg”; then she would laugh at us for being 
fooled. Even the big people could not tell which one was 
calling, as “Lauretta” really could mimic “Juny” to per- 
fection. She had a fine soprano voice, and could sing in 
perfect tune and in plain words “Pretty, pretty Polly Hop- 
kins, how do you do ? How do you do P ” If you children 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


37 


want to hear the tune, ask some dear old grandmother, and 
she no doubt can sing it for you. There was something 
strange about ‘ ‘ Lauretta” that made me afraid of her. She 
was too human, I guess, for I was not afraid of toads, frogs, 
snakes, bugs, chickens, or anything else, but she was a 
puzzle to me. 

The country around Minocqua is beautiful, and such a 
picturesque lake ! It has an awfully big Indian name, and 
you can find it on your maps marked Kewagasaga; it means, 
in Indian language, “little tomahawk.” 

After we had been here a few days, my master went out 
in a skiff on the lake, and he called to me. I went to the 
shore of the lake, but was afraid to follow him, for I had never 
been in a large body of water, nothing larger than the family 
bath-tub (and I never liked that). I don’t like to be 
washed and have soap-suds rubbed into my eyes and ears, 
do you ? Well! I just balked, so my master had to come 
after me, and to my delight he let me jump into his boat. 
Away we glided out, like a swan on the smooth waters, and 
I thought I had reached the height of my ambition, to see 
the world without footing it around. Misery! All I re- 
member now is that I was pushed by some one (I have my 
opinion as to that some one), headlong overboard into the 
biggest bath-tub that I had ever been in. I could not 
touch the sides of it, so I thought I should die with 
fright. I splashed and I sputtered with my mouth filled 
with water, but at last I heard my mistress call from the 
shore, so I made one last attempt to reach her. I started to 
walk the same as I do on the land, but it would not do. Once 
more I heard encouraging words from the shore, this time 
from my mama, “Come to me, St. Elmo, swim, don’t 
walk. ” In a moment I was swimming through the 
water in the easiest fashion, and finally I reached the shore, 
very wet, but very happy. My first swimming lesson was a 
sudden one but never to be forgotten, and now I dearly love 


38 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


to swim after the boat, and lots of times I am not wanted, 
then I laugh to myself, and think, I guess you are sorry you 
taught me to swim. If you boys have ever had such an ex- 
perience in swimming, you will know how I felt, but if you 
never have been so treated, don’t try it just because I told 
7°u. 

After that I saw “Peg” and lots of the people go into 
the lake, even my mistress; so I soon enjoyed it, and would 
go way out after my inflated rubber ball. Later on my 
family had a hard time keeping me out of the water. I 
used to run up to them and shake myself so that the water 
would sprinkle all over and would rub my wet coat against 
them. Of course some did not enjoy the joke, especially 
when they were all togged up, but it was great fun for me. I 
pretended I did not know any better, so they would laugh 
and forgive me. 


CHAPTER XII 


The next object of my anxiety and suspicion was in the 
shape of a big red man, called an Indian. This time he 
was a real live Indian and did not carry a tomahawk; he 
always carried a bucket. When he came to the village, it 
was filled with berries, but when he left for home, it was full 
of ‘ ‘ fire-water. ’ ’ He had a big reddish brown face and 
little black, bead eyes. He said his name was “Jack”; 
of course that was his English name. He lived eighteen 
miles from the village on a reservation called “Flambo”; 
that is also on your map, and if you do not know about a 
reservation, read it up, for a dog must not know more than 
a boy or a girl. 

These Indians are of the “Chippewa” tribe, and they 
are partially civilized. Most of them live in wooden houses, 
still there are some old-fashioned Indians who hold to the 
wigwam and tepee. They do some work, at least the squaws 
(their comely wives do the work, and they spend the money) . 
This big Indian Jack had a little boy pappoose who was 
carried on his mama’s back when he came to the village; he 
was about my age. One day my mistress held out to him 
a lovely pink carnation (my mistress’s favorite flower) ; this 
was in her left hand, in the right hand she held a nickel. 
The pappoose grasped the bright flower in his little fat 
brown hand, choosing the one he liked best, but papa Indian 
immediately took it from pappoose boy and gave it back 
to my mistress and made the little chap take the money. 
His papa had an eye to business just the same as the white 
papas have, and he was giving his son his first lesson in 
making money. The baby, however, went away with the 
flower, for my mistress loved the baby for loving the beauti- 

39 


40 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


ful flower the best. The baby did not cry, and the Indian 
said, in reply to a question, “Injun babies no cry.” The 
squaws make bead-work, baskets, mats, blankets, and belts, 
and many lovely things. I never got hold of any of these 
things to play with, although I often wished that I could 
have one of their bright blankets or mats to shake. You 
boys know how we dogs like to get things to shake and tear 
up. 

I must tell you about a tiny pappoose whom my mistress 
saw at “Flambo. ” She was just three days old and as 
fair as any white child is at that age. She had a little white 
bonnet on, and was tied on a board, which was suspended 
from the top of the wigwam by ropes. She was tied there in 
the morning and not taken out until night; she never cried; 
you know “Jack” said “Injun babies no cry.” The papa 
Indian said the pappoose was “no good,” because it was 
a little girl. He wanted boys so as to make warriors of 
them. This and the thoughts of such a happy baby life, 
free from care, amused my mistress so much, that she wrote 
a song, the words of which I am going to give you here. 


ROCK-A-BYE, LITTLE PAPPOOSE LADY 
(Words to a Chippewa Pappoose) 

Rock-a-&?/0, Little Pappoose Lady ! 

Daddy Injun’s gone away, gone a-daydy; 

Went to hunt a red deer skin 
Just to dress his baby in — 

Rock-a-fo/e, Little Pappoose Lady ! 

Do you cry, Little Pappoose Lady, 

When you’re hung up on a tree in the shady — 
And the Injuns, they all go, 

And you’re tied from head to toe — 

Do you cry, Little Pappoose Lady ? 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


41 


Where’s your doll , Little Pappoose Lady ? 

Oh, I see ! on a bough for its cradly, 

’Tis a stick dressed up, that’s all, 

With a blanket for a shawl — 

But you’re happy Little Pappoose Lady ! 

Rock-a-fo/e, Little Pappoose Lady ! 

Soon you’ll journey with your tribe, far, to trady, 

In your carriage, on squaw’s back, 

You’re the happiest little black 
In your freedom, Little Pappoose Lady ! 

Look- a-here, Little Pappoose Lady ! 

Would you change and be a white girl baby ? 

Washed and dressed five times a day, 

Dressed in frills and ribbons gay — 

Would you change, Little Pappoose Lady ? 

For those who do not understand baby-talk, “daydy” is “gone away” ; 
“shady” is “shade”; “cradly” is cradle”; and “trady” means “trade.” 

(Copyrighted, 1904, Caro Smith-Senour.) 

We next stopped at a place called “Eagle Lake,” because 
it is in the shape of an eagle with its wings spread. There was 
a farm here where I liked to roam about for they had such 
funny animals. There was a big rooster who raised nine 
little turkeys; their mother had died, so master rooster 
adopted the orphans, and after a time they grew so large 
that when they perched upon the fence, four on one side and 
five on the other side of father rooster, he looked so small 
that you hardly noticed him at all. We left this lake and 
went to Racine and there we got into a big boat; in my 
earlier days I should have called this big sea-bird a barn on 
the water, for you know all places were barns to me. I was 
taken down into the basement of this big boat and chained 
to a chair (just think, boys, of chaining a big strong dog to a 
chair) ; this place was what they call the baggageman’s 


42 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


room. Well, this man after a little went out, and I had had 
my eye on his bed, so as soon as the door closed after him I 
got up, pulled chain and chair, and got into his lower berth. 
This was another soft bed, so I fell asleep. I guess my 
snoring out my contentment made the man return, for soon 
I heard him crawling into the upper berth ; so we both slept 
the rest of the journey. When my mistress came to get me 
at the end of our trip, she was surprised at my audacity and 
to see me in the better berth and the man way up on the top 
bed. She said, “Do you know my dog is in your bed ?” 
“Yes, madam, and if your dog is smart enough to pick out 
the softer bed, I think he is entitled to it.” I guess I was 
born a lucky dog. 


CHAPTER XIII 

Nothing happened to narrate until Christmas that year. 
I should rather leave this out, but my story would be incom- 
plete. We had spent a very pleasant day, had received 
many lovely gifts, and had had plenty of good things to eat. 
That always pleases me the most for I like good eating, 
especially ice-cream and candy, and some kinds of cake. 
Oh, yes! I forgot! I like English walnuts about the best. 
After tea I was left alone for the evening, the family being 
invited to a Christmas-tree party. Why I was not invited 
I never could understand, as I played with the children who 
had the party, and they appeared to love me very much. I 
was really very sad at heart; why do you suppose they did 
not invite me ? Do you ever get left out of parties ? Well ! 
it got rather monotonous after ten o’clock, so I looked all 
around the floors and tables for something to play with. I 
wanted to be amused, but I could find nothing to interest 
me. After a little while I spied a paper box upon the library 
desk, which looked as if it were lonely, too. It was so near 
the edge of the desk that I expected it would fall off any- 
way, so I just put my front feet up in the chair and pulled 
off this nice little alluring box. I was doubly pleased when 
I threw it up and it came down in two pieces, for I then had 
two boxes. What fun for a dog ! I was glad I had stayed 
at home; so I threw one of the two boxes up again and once 
more I had an extra box, this time three. The third box I 
found had something in, so up I sent it, higher than any of 
the others; when to my joy, a fourth box dropped at my feet. 
Was I a magician? thought I, for I had seen my little play- 
mate do such wonderful tricks. Yes! I was more won- 
derful than he, for I had materialized a most beautiful 

43 


44 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


picture, such as you see on the next page entitled “Little 
Boy Blue.” It was a piece of glass, with this picture 
painted on it in pretty colors. I found out later that it was 
a lantern slide, and that it cost my master $1.50 and many 
days of waiting to get it home. It was so bright and pretty 
that I, of course, made a jump for it, and my clumsy paw 
landed right in the center and crushed the little glass all to 
pieces. I was so sorry, but how was I to know it was not to 
play with ? So I started to pick up the pieces, but owwww ! 
I cried, for they stuck in my mouth and a piece stuck in the 
side of my gums and I could not get it out. I lay down on 
the floor and my play was all over for that day. I knew 
that when my master returned and saw the damage I had 
done another place would sting. When they came home, I 
did not run to meet them as I was in the habit of doing, so 
they knew something was wrong — I always betray myself 
somehow. Presently my master discovered the havoc 
I had caused, and I got my little reminder as I had expected. 
I never am disappointed that way, are you P My master 
said, “You bad dog, you have destroyed a $1.50 lantern 
slide.” Just to think I was suffering all the time with that 
glass in my jaw, but no one seemed to care. After they had 
picked up the four boxes, which I had made out of one, and 
all the glass, my mistress, who is always sorry when I am in 
trouble, came and asked me what made me wiggle my 
mouth, and she put her finger inside and pulled out a piece 
of glass a half-inch long, then she washed my mouth and 
said that I had been punished enough. After this I always 
waited for the folks to open their own packages. I was 
only one year and five months old when this happened, and 
I did not know any better. Were you ever left alone when 
you were as little as I was at that time ? I am sure you 
think that I should have been forgiven. 

My best friends are children. They can pull my tail, 
or ears, or poke their fingers in my eyes, and it is all fun to 







. 












































































* 

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3 




MASTER ST. ELMO 


47 


me whatever children do. I was very good after this mis- 
take of mine until we went to Channel Lake in May. It 
seems as if I am always possessed when I go away until 
I get a dressing down. What makes dogs so full of mis- 
chief ? I was very happy when we got to Channel Lake, for 
there was another big bath-tub, plenty of ground room, and 
lots of horses, cows, chickens, and pigs to bark at. I like 
to tease pigs, they grunt and make such ugly faces that it 
makes me laugh. The cows with the big horns I was afraid 
of, so I stayed behind the fence and barked at them. I am 
like a little boy of six, whose name is Paul, who said that 
he was only afraid of ‘ 4 loose cows. ’ ’ Wasn’t that cunning ? 

There was the Bog” to get into, and that was great 
sport. I spent many happy moments in the bog, hunting 
for frogs and scaring them out of their homes and jumping 
after them. I would not hurt them, only I enjoy the sport 
of hunting. I got their little hop, skip, and jump down pat 
before I left for my quiet home in the city. I had many 
scoldings for haunting this most fascinating place, for I al- 
ways went home with muddy feet, and sometimes with mud 
up to my neck. I first became acquainted with this bog by 
watching my master over there looking for something, and 
he would come back with a bucket full of frogs, catching 
them in a net and using them for baiting his hook to catch 
another poor creature, the fish. Poor little froggies ! I never 
hurt them. I was curious to find out where my master got 
the frogs, so after he returned I strolled over to the same 
place, and it soon became my favorite amusement. I won- 
dered when my master came home with his feet muddy that 
my mistress did not scold him. She saw only my mud, so I 
got the lectures for the two. I think she was partial to him 
sometimes. 

I must tell you about “Duce. ” He was a little puppy, 
white with two black spots on his side, so this is why they 
called him “Duce, ” that means two. After my mistress 


48 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


saw him, lie was her dog, as all dogs are. She seems to have 
their love after a first meeting, so she renamed him “Two 
Spots,” which name every one soon called him, and he 
seemed to like a two-syllable name better. He was a foot 
long and about a foot wide, and so fat he could hardly walk. 
He would start away on a run, but before long you would see 
him rolling the rest of the way. It did not seem to matter 
whether he toddled on his feet, back, or fat sides; he always 
got to the place he started for just as well as I did with my 
long legs. He had a pet name, “Butter-ball.” His re- 
lationship was through a little girl whose papa owned the 
hotel where we were boarding. She was a darling little 
fair-haired girl, named 4 4 Marie. ’ ’ She was my dearest 
friend out there and my constant playfellow. We used to 
play until we were all tired out, then 1 would lie down under 
the shade-trees, and she would lie down with her head on 
my shoulder, making a pillow of me. This little girl was 
four years old. She was chubby like “Two Spots,” and 
her eyes were blue. I used to love to have her dear little 
chubby hands pat my head. One day I saw a horse in a 
pasture, seemingly alone, and not having any fun, so I 
started after him, and when he saw me he 4 4 took to his 
heels,” so off I went after him. We were having such fun 
when the family (there were so many in my family, three, 
that some one was always in the way, watching me) spied 
me, and I was called to account for chasing a horse. My 
mistress gave me a hard spank with her hand, and I pre- 
tended that I was hurt so as to get sympathy, which I did get, 
for Marie had seen the abuse and had come to me, putting her 
chubby arms around my neck and telling me not to cry. 
My feelings were always hurt more than the hurt itself. 
“Two Spots” slept under the porch steps by our rooms, 
and he barked at every one passing, with the exception of our 
family, who could run down the steps all hours of the night, 
and he would come out to see them, but never bark, he knew 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


49 


their footsteps. He really thought that we belonged to him. 
The family to whom he belonged he barked at when they 
came down our steps at night. He seemed to think that he 
was really protecting us, and he wasn’t much larger than 
my head, either. In the daytime he would watch under my 
mistress’s hammock and not allow any one to go near her 
wihle she slept. He seemed to think he was her protector. 
It made me a little jealous, for he was small, and he often got 
into the hammock and slept with my mistress, while “poor 
me” had to lie on the ground. That is what one gets for 
growing so fast. I liked sleeping in the house better, any- 
way, for I had a soft bed, and the flies and ants did not 
bother me there. I really felt sorry for “Two Spots’’ once. 
The boy at the hotel went out to the end of the pier and 
threw him into the water. My ! I thought he was gone for- 
ever, because I did not see him come up, so I rushed in after 
him, and just as his head popped out, I grabbed him by the 
nape of the neck and dragged him safely ashore. Wouldn’t 
you have been scared plumb through, boys ? After that he 
would run to the edge of the water and back again, until one 
day he swam out with me; then after that he was a fine 
swimmer. I was always ready to rescue dogs or people, and 
one day I heard my master scream when he was in the lake, 
so I ran out on the pier, jumped off, and swam to him, took 
hold of his arm and brought him to shore. I heard them 
say afterwards that he was just trying me to see what I would 
do, but it is not right to fool any one about needing help when 
in the water. 

One time out there I gave my mama a great fright. She 
was sitting on the bank reading, and supposedly watching 
St. Elmo, while my master and mistress went across the lake 
in a boat. When I spied them crossing to Catherine Lake, 
I looked at “Mom’’ (that is my master’s pet name for his 
mother-in-law), and she was asleep, so I just quietly ran 
away and jumped into the lake and swam to the boat, so 


50 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


they had to take me in. Every one on the place was looking 
for me, and they all thought I had been kidnapped. Another 
day I was lost, so to speak, and all on the place started out 
on a search of me. One boy went to the village thinking I 
had followed the bus; others went to the farms around; and 
even the good landlord was searching for me. Where do 
you think I was that time ? Playing baby upstairs in the 
hotel, lying on a nice white quilt upon a soft bed, and two 
little girls feeding me sugar and water out of a real silver 
spoon. I was their sick baby and this petting was good 
enough for me. 

I wonder if your mama would not enjoy this joke on my 
mistress ? I shall tell it, however, and may be she will feel 
sorry for our poor family. Well, this happened at the same 
place. After I had been taken into the boat, we soon landed 
near a farm-house and after securely tying our boat, to a little 
twig, we walked to the house and introduced ourselves to the 
good farm-house lady, who was as glad to see us as if we had 
been her sixth-cousins. We told her that we desired to 
take some nice crab-apples home with us so as to make jelly. 
She told us to help ourselves. I took only one and ran off 
with it, and had a ball game all alone. After my family had 
picked up two sacks full of beautiful crab-apples and were 
tired after such an exertion upon a warm day, we prepared 
to return, my master having insisted upon the farm-house 
lady’s little farm-house daughter accepting fifty cents. You 
know the good farmers do not like to take money from 
tourists for anything they want, as the visits seem to give 
them so much pleasure, for they lead such a lonely life. We 
pulled for the hotel and got there a little late for luncheon, 
so we had to take what we could get. My master then got 
one of our trunks out and put the two bags of crab- 
apples into the bottom of the trunk. That was all right, but 
that mistress of ours always has her own plans and ideas, 
which, to keep peace in our family, we are obliged to respect. 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


51 


So she thought we might as well send home our gas-stove, 
which we had had to keep us warm in our summer-rooms. 
She thought best to place the stove in the bottom of the trunk 
and place the bags upon the stove; so out came apples, and 
my poor master was warm and tired anyway (and just to 
think he had come up to the lake after a hard busy business 
week to get a rest over Sunday !) ; he got his rest later when 
he returned to business. After the stove had been lifted out 
four times and the bags seven times by my ‘ ‘ hen-pecked ’ ’ 
master, the boss thought it was ready to go to Chicago, so 
off it was shipped that very day. Now, it was obliged to re- 
main two days in the freight-house by a mistake of our 
teamster and a week longer in our basement awaiting our 
return and the jelly-making. Of course we went down to 
see our beautiful crab-apples as soon as our inspection of 
the house had ended, for my mistress had all the closets to 
look into, all the cubby-holes to peep into, and above all she 
had to look under every bed, just because she was a woman, 
so at last we got down to business. Well ! I can not describe 
this scene. Ask your father if he ever saw your mother look 
into a trunk filled with crushed crab-apples, making cider 
by themselves. This was the picture, but my mistress’s face 
no one could have ever painted, for it changed its poses so 
lightning-like that I was dazzled at the wonderful kinodrome 
in her usually calm face. What a difference in a picture of 
“before and after taking.” The trunk was so stained that 
our washer- woman fell heir to it, and the stove was so rusty 
that, — well, we are still heirs to the stove. Then my mama 
had to have a hand in the packing, so she at the last moment 
had placed her cape lined with lavender satin (just think how 
stylish it would be now) on the top of all, and when she 
found the cape, it had cuddled down under the stove so closely 
that the name of the stove was perfectly printed upon the 
lovely lavender lining, so no one fell heir to the cape. Oh ! 
yes the rag-man did accept it. When my master got home 


52 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


and he saw the scrap that the crab-apples had had, he sat 
down and yelled, and the louder he laughed the madder my 
mistress became, until I really thought there was “some- 
thing doing to beat the band ’ ’ (one of master’s pet expres- 
sions). When any one says “crab-apple jelly” now we all 
turn pale. If your father laughs I feel sure he will hurt my 
mistress’s feelings. 

There was a very nice family living near the hotel, named 
“Bucks.” I ran away down there several times and they 
fed me cake and let me lie down on their parlor carpet. 

I had another fine place to visit, and that was “Mc- 
Ginty’s Farm”; such good people lived there. They gave 
us apples (I like apples with their skins off), and they gave 
us fresh milk from their moo-cow, and nice well-water 
to drink. They had some funny things on two legs on their 
farm. I never had seen such strange animals; they had 
mixed-up names. One day I heard them called geese, next 
time they were gooses (when a little boy spoke of them), 
and again they were called goslings; so how was I to know 
how to address them P One day when I had strolled up there 
all alone, I went up to one of these funny birds and as politely 
as a young man could address a young lady, I said, ‘ ‘ How 
do you do, Miss Goose ?”and what do you think she did ? 
She just ruffled up her feathers, stuck up her nose, and 
started for me. I fled. I had insulted her. She was Mrs. 
Gooses, I suppose, and did not like my dropping the second 
syllable. Later my master said she was protecting her 
family, a dozen of the ugliest little bead-eyed, yellow goslings 
that you would ever wish to see, and she thought them just 
too sweet for even me to look at. To tell the truth I was 
aching to feel their fluffy dresses. My mistress used to take 
them up and rub their soft down against her face. How 
she does love everything that has life in it! She wants to 
live on a farm, and so do I. 

I was sauntering again one day by the babbling brook 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


53 


when I heard “gobble, gobble, gobble,” and turned to face 
the most vicious looking two-legged talking-machine I had 
encountered thus far in the walks of life. I did not ask his 
name, but ran home, never turning to see whether he was 
after me, and I cuddled down on my bed, shaking my very 



“They had a Way of Making their Hair Frizz Up 


teeth almost out. I never passed that way alone; but about 
a month after, I was with my master, and I met another 
creature just like the first, and when I started to go back my 
master said, “That is only a turkey-gobbler, he will not 
hurt you if you let him alone. ’ ’ I took his word for it, but 
kept close to my master’s heels just the same. I think, how- 
ever, had he opened his phonographic mouth and said “gob- 
ble, gobble, gobble,” I should have dropped dead. 


54 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


What a dear little friend I had all to myself ! She lived 
under the sidewalk. I never heard her name, but she was a 
little sister of the rabbit family. She was small, with a 
white soft dress with black on it, and she was indeed very 
pretty, she seemed very timid, for she would not let any one 
pet her, but was fed under the walk each day. How strange 
it was! She would come to the edge of the walk and put 
her nose up to mine for a kiss, and we were such good friends, 
but she never would let the other dogs come near her. After 
awhile they found two more sisters for her, so she was not 
so homesick. I always feel sorry for anything that is home- 
sick, for I have suffered many a day. This place was full 
of pets; one which I liked very well was a wee, pet chicken 
that was the particular pet of Marie’s. This little tot used to 
delight in pecking my feet and in standing with all her weight 
upon my foot. She seemed to think I was made for her 
pleasure, so I just let her have her own way. Oh, yes ! I 
almost forgot the three other pets, kittens, as white as snow, 
when they had not been in the coal-shed. These were very 
beautiful, but so very important that I could not get close 
enough to them to decide what color of eyes they had. They 
evidently had eyes, for they always saw me first. They had 
a way of making their hair frizz up and humping up their 
backs, so that they looked like a porcupine. (I saw one of 
these things later). I really like cats, but they shun my 
society. 


CHAPTER XIV 


The following summer we spent at Lauderdale Lakes. 
This place was another beautiful spot for children — and 
dogs. 

Isn’t it queer that any place that is nice for little people 
is lovely for dogs, too ? I had quite a hardship in reaching 
this place. We went up on the train to Elkhorn, and my 
mama got into a stage and my master and mistress got on 
their bicycles and all started off on a dusty road. Poor me ! 
I took “Shank’s mare,” and followed them all for seven 
long miles, awfully long miles; they must have been two 
miles to one, for when I reached the place of halt, I was al- 
most dead. My tongue was hanging out of my mouth, my 
sides were puffing out and in like a blow-up balloon, such as 
you put into your mouth and make it squeak and puff out, 
and my poor feet ! why, they were burned by the hot, rough 
roads, and the cushions were worn smooth and were as sore 
as boils. I was what the boys call “dead tired.” Every 
one was very sorry for me; they bathed my feet and rubbed 
salve on them, and gave me a soft bed to lie upon, but do 
you know it was a week before I could run and play and be 
myself again ? 

How sorry my folks felt. They blamed themselves for 
not being more considerate. Of course they did not suppose 
that a dog would tire out before people. I being their first 
dog, all the experiments were tried on me. Seven miles is 
nothing for a dog to travel when in good training, but I had 
been walking on sidewalks and soft lawns, so I was not 
hardened. 

After I got well, I found this place another jolly-go-as- 
you-please rest-cure. We stayed at the hotel one night un- 

55 


56 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


til we could get into a cottage. We had very nice neighbors 
there at “Gorden’s Camp,” and some funny ones also. 
The strange and funny neighbors did not like me very well. 
The big, fat neighbor grunted every time I peeped through 
the fence at her, and after a few days when I peeped through, 



Guarding Camp 


what do you suppose I saw ? The funny neighbor with nine 
little funny neighbors all eating their dinner. These little 
piggies were only three hours old. After that day, I spent 
hours watching this curious family, but I had very angry 
talks with this spirited lady, for she used to tell me to go away 
from her beautiful darlings ; and I used to tell her that I would 
not hurt them, that I was curious only to see what they were 
finding upon the ground, for they would spend most of their 
time with their noses in the mud, and I could not get into 



MASTER ST. ELMO 


57 


the yard to see what was so interesting to them. Before I 
left this lake (would you believe it ?) they were all big enough 
to come to the fence, and be just as impolite as their mother 
was, telling me to go away, and mind my own business. 
This large camp was divided into sections, and the different 
nationalities occupied particular locations. Of course the 
Americans had the 
highest points and the 
best surroundings ; then 
the foreigners, such as 
the Alpine goats and 
sheep, occupied another 
high place; then the 
cows and their little 
cowies lived out of 
doors all the time, with 
a beautiful green carpet 
under their feet ; the 
next nationality was the 
“Plymouth Rock” 
chickens ; they seemed 
to visit around in the daytime, but at night they had a high 
bed to sleep on in a clean, white house. But would you im- 
agine for a minute they could sleep perched up on one foot 
on a narrow board all along in a line ? I really think they 
were not of the nightmare kind of folks or they surely would 
have fallen off and have broken their necks. I guess they 
did not belong to the snoring family either, for they seemed 
to be good friends. 

Near to the camp in the best house, next to the American 
people’s house, lived the next nationality; this was Arabian. 
This high-strung, kicking, neighing, class of people was 
known as “the horse family.” Now, they were very useful 
of course, to take the people through the country, so that they 
should not get sore feet as I did ; for you know horses wear 



Piggies Three Hours Old 


58 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


iron shoes. The horses were essential and deserved a good 
home. Then there were neighbors unclassed, as I did not 
learn their nationality. They were the frogs, the toads, the 
bumble-bees, the spiders, the flies, and oh my ! the very busy 
mosquito. Another family that most folks did not like for 
neighbors was the snake family, but they amused me the 
most. I used to put my foot down on them, so that they 
could not run away, and I would chase them all around, until 
some big person would give a scream and make me stop 
chasing snakes into her cabin. Now, these little, wiggling 
animals must have been the “squatters,” and have been 
entitled to this land, for they drove every one away from the 
spot where they squatted, and usurped all the land. They 
were harmless little inhabitants and never talked back to 
you, but just went on attending to their own business, for 
they would not meddle with yours if you let them alone. 
They seemed to be boss of the big folks, all right. 

I nearly forgot the other charming inhabitants, the ones 
all people love. The birds I shall mention first, they seem 
to me to be the farthest away foreigners of all. They are 
fond of building nests on the land, but go away to make their 
calls, that is, they do not come near us, but they do sing 
beautiful songs and help make the world cheerful. These 
little foreigners are of a mixed nationality, and it would fill 
many pages to assort them out for you, so as I am only a dog, 
and not up on the history of flying-machines, I refer you to 
the delightful bird-books. The other little neighbors, the 
squirrels, I have the most fun with, for they are so cunning 
and pretty. How they wink at me and tease me. One 
minute they are sitting up holding a nut in their hands and 
winking at me, then in a moment they are up a tree looking 
down and saying , 4 ‘ How is that for high ? 9 ’ with the meanest 
little sneer on their pretty faces, and with one eye closed to 
show me that I am not the only foxy creature on earth. I 
love to bark at them, and sometimes I stand so long looking 



a.m Posing for my Picture 























■ 

































































MASTER ST. ELMO 


61 


up the tree, that my neck is stretched clear out, and it takes 
hours to get it back into shape. But what fun ! I am just in 
play, and I think that they know it, only they like to tease. 
What pretty tails these squirrels have and how nice they are 
for fanning and keeping them cool in the summer time. The 
chipmunks are my mistress’s especial wild pets and she likes 
to feed them, so she will not let me chase them away. I 
can’t have any fun with chipmunks so I never studied their 
nationality; still I think they are Americans, for my mistress 
seems to be partial to every one and everything American. 

All these that I have spoken of were my most intimate 
acquaintances, but we had some other neighbors who were 
more like my mistress, and one lady in particular was very 
good to me. She had a cottage a few doors from ours and 
the first thing in the morning when I was turned loose, I 
would go to her cottage and bark at the door. She never 
sent a maid to say she was not at home, but always met me 
with a smile and welcomed me as graciously as though I 
were her dearest friend ; and she was mine. When I walked 
into her house I always looked on the table and went through 
the pantry, and if I wanted anything I stood and barked at 
it, and she always understood. I took possession of her best 
couch in the parlor with lovely soft pillows and slept on her 
best Turkish rugs; nothing was too good for me in her eyes. 
She had a dandy little boy named Donald who liked me 
quite as well as did his mama, so we had fine times together, 
as you can see by our pictures in the water. I was there, but 
you do not see me, for I was too large for the little hole in 
the camera to paste me on the glass. 

Donald had three playmates, Mildred, Hazel, and Sloan, 
and we all went bathing together and sailed our boats. The 
girls were twins and they were the cutest little girls that I 
ever saw. Hazel could swim after her first lesson, and she 
was only six years old. The children would blow up pillow- 
cases and tie a string around the ends and use them for life- 


62 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


preservers in the water; we used to have lots of fun. Don- 
ald remembers us every Christmas, and some day I am going 
again to the place where he lives in the summer. I do like 
good children. I was sorry when school-time began for we 
all left the country. We went to Elkhorn to meet the train 
there, and rode over in a hay-rack drawn by farm horses 
(nationality German). The two trunks were in the back, 
and the two bicycles also, which I was thankful for. Across 
the wagon was a board (my folks said after a few miles that 
it was a hard board). Do you know what kind of board it 
was ? 

The two ladies of my family were seated upon this hard 
board and my master upon another (same kind) in the front 
of the wagon. Then we had another occupant, a little farm 
boy, who drove us into the town. My! what style! The 
good farmer put a soft quilt down in the wagon for me to lie 
upon and under that was straw. Just imagine a city dog 
being asked to sleep upon straw ! I graduated from that two 
years before, so I felt my importance and sat on the hard 
board between the two ladies until the rain came pouring 
down, then I was glad to get away down under the quilt, for if 
there is any one thing I dislike above another it is to be 
sprinkled. I don’t mind a good plunge all over, but I do 
not like to get wet in spots. The family got drenched and 
they had to open the trunks at the depot to get dry clothes. 
My clothes were all nice and dry, only my socks got muddy 
when I jumped out of the wagon. I washed them myself so 
I made no trouble for the unfortunate ones. 



Donald, Sloan, Mildred, Hazel 

































































































































































V 






























CHAPTER XV 


Nothing happened during the fall and winter months in 
Chicago (it always seems a little slow when I get home, for 
Chicago is a quiet place for a dog), consequently I shall have 
to begin this chapter with my next outing at Eagle River. 

We left on the fifteenth day of August in the evening. The 
berth that was assigned to me was in the baggage-car, and 
there I was once more chained to the radiator. This time, 
however, I had a comfortable bed, and a good man gave me 
water. I find lots of good men in the dog sleeping-car busi- 
ness. 

We reached Eagle River the next morning at five o’clock; 
it was so cloudy and smoky that I thought I was back in 
Chicago. There was an electric launch waiting for us to 
take us to “Everett’s Resort,” about nine miles from the 
town. I must tell you what a little four-year-old boy called 
this boat — ‘ ‘ a vaseline lunch. ’ ’ My master said he meant 
to say a gasoline launch. Well, boys, if you want to go to a 
jolly, fine place, where children and dogs hold full sway, and 
where the papas can catch real fish, go to “Everett’s Resort,” 
Eagle River, Wisconsin. The eating is first-class and the 
log cabins are clean and comfortable, while the j oiliest inn- 
keeper that dogs ever saw keeps the place; he little knows 
that I am writing about him, but I want all the boys to know 
where this splendid resort is, way up in the pines, on a little 
peninsula, which is almost an island, surrounded by Cat- 
fish and Cranberry lakes, and where I was very kindly 
treated by the good landlord. 

There were only nine dogs on the place. The tiniest was 
“Dolly,” who was the size of my head; she was boss, 
and made us all “toe the mark.” Next in size was 


65 


66 


MASTER ST. ELMO 



“Frank/’ who belonged to a guest; Frank was just the 
next size to “the boss”; then came “Smut”; he was so 
black his master gave him that name, but he was the hand- 
somest of us all, and a step- 
brother to “Dolly.” 

“Nip” and “Tuck” were 
twins, both fine cocker span- 
iels. They comprised the 
firm of “Nip and Tuck 
Bird-Dog Company.” “Nip” 
represented the social side 
of the firm, and “Tuck” the 
business end. “Nip” made 
friends with the hunters, 
found out their ways and 
traits, and gave the pointers 
to his partner, “Tuck,” who 
handled the affairs of the 
company, leading the hun- 
ters or his customers to the 
right spot for game, and en- 
gineering the party through 
the tangle wood of the forest 
and bringing them safely 
home. At the sight of a gun 
he was ready and willing to 
head any army, but his social 
partner, “Nip,” did not like 
a gun, and refused to enter into any game that would 
destroy life. He had the same feelings as I had; he did 
not want to hurt anything, so we often discussed such cruel 
sport. Of course, “Tuck” made money — I think about a 
dollar an hour — and as there were many in a party they 
could afford to pay for their sport. 

Every time a fisherman, or one who thought he was a 


67 


MASTER jST. ELMO 

fisherman, would bring in a “muskalonge,” the landlord 
would fire off a big cannon fire-cracker on the pier, and then 
every one would run down to see the “musky.” 

The game law in Wisconsin will not permit hunters to 
kill deer out of season, and I wish it never were in season, 
for these animals are so pretty and innocent, with such 
pleading, almost human eyes, that I cannot see how any 
man can slaughter one so trusting as they. 

This is a wild country in the winter when the people go 
away, for the wildcats prowl around there and other small 
wild animals. One day three deer swam in front of our 
boat. They were crossing the lake, and when they saw 
us they were so frightened that they swam away from us, 
and landed on the nearest point of land. The first was the 
big deer, the papa deer, then followed the doe, the mama 
deer, and after her swam the cutest little fawn, the baby deer. 
This happy family had no doubt gone across the lake in the 
early morning to look for food, and were going home just at 
sunset. 

It was a most beautiful picture and very interesting, as 
each one, as it landed, looked around, shook itself, and 
bounded into the dense forest. My mistress had her camera 
in the boat, but was too spellbound to take a picture. She 
says she had what the hunters have sometimes when they 
face a deer, the “buck fever.” 


CHAPTER XVI 


When August came in 1902, I heard some talk about a 
vacation, and I wondered whether I was to go this time, for 
I did wish I were going back to see “Peg” or “Nip.” When 
the trunks came up from the storeroom, I kept close watch 
for a few days, fearing that I might be left out of this trip 
(you see when my mistress goes away in the fall she leaves me 
at home) ; so, of course, I kept guessing until I saw my har- 
ness and chain brought out and left upon the trunk, which is 
always a good omen, for it tells me that I am surely on the 
list of fashionable dogs that are to spend the summer out of 
the city. Two days passed before the family mentioned the 
fact to me, still I watched the packing of three trunks, and 
when the third one was packed I knew that my master had 
had an invitation to go, for it contained just the things you 
boys would delight in — three fishing-rods, a landing net, reels, 
a big minnow-pail, a fishing tackle box with innumerable 
hooks and flies to lure poor fish; two pairs of old shoes, two 
suits of old clothes to supply the fisherman with dry duds, 
as they all seem to get as wet as they can — that is what my 
mistress says, but don’t you tell. She throws his old duds 
away each year, and how my master stews around for a time, 
until he finds some clothes that will answer, for they must 
look as if they had had lots of use and real “fisherman like,” 
you know. I had to laugh once when my master went way 
to the bottom of his trunk for an old “stand-by,” as he called 
it, but I thought it was a felt slouch hat. Well, he could not 
find it, and he stormed around, and all the time my mistress, 
with a twinkle in her eye, kept saying, “Can’t you find it, 
dear ?” But “dear” never found that hat until he went back 
to the city, when he discovered it hung up in his den, for a 

68 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


69 


curiosity. It was really a terrible thing for a gentleman to 
wear, all shot full of holes by a Winchester rifle. I used to 
see him throw it up in the air and shoot at it, but even now 
he longs for that hat every summer. My mistress is the real 
boss in our family, so she found him a better looking straw 
hat, but he gets so mad at it when he is out in a boat fishing 
upon a windy day, for, just as he is about to land a big fish, 
that clumsy hat blows off ; and, as natural instinct tells him to 
let go and grab the old hat, which he does, he loses fish, rod, 
and tackle. He always said something to the hat, but I 
never understood what he said, and I was afraid to ask him 
to repeat it, as he seemed a little despondent at these times. 
Has your “pa” ever been a-fishing and had his hat blow off ? 
Ask him. I’m real quiet when I go fishing. I never talk, 
as children do, nor do I scream as the girls, and scare away 
the fish. Some folks say that fish have no ears to hear talk- 
ing, but that the women-folks are told that they have in 
order to keep them quiet in a boat. I like hunting the best, 
that is, the way that my mistress and I hunt. We take a gun 
and go away off into the woods and shoot at targets, tree- 
tops, old stumps, bottles, cans, and any old dead thing that 
we find, but we never kill anything on our hunting expedi- 
tions. We just look at the pretty birds, squirrels, rabbits, 
partridges, and the graceful deer. My master says that it 
is no fun hunting with my mistress, because if he kills any- 
thing she cries, and all the time she is wishing no huntable 
animal will appear, for he is a good shot. It is the same, 
my master says, when she goes fishing with him; all the time 
she is wishing the fish will not bite, so he has no luck, he says. 
But my ! my mistress is the humanest person I ever saw. 
Why, she will not kill a fly ; she opens the window and lets it 
go out, and just after it has been pestering me for an hour 
so that I could not sleep. Sometimes I think that she 
does not know that there is anything bad in this world; she 
often says she wishes that every one were good, and that 


70 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


there were no wars nor wickedness on earth, and no 
poverty. 

One day when we were out in the forest, my master shot 
a partridge (my mistress called it a “poor partridge,” so I 
guess that was the correct name). Well, I was sent to bring 
it to them, and I had to jump over bushes that stuck me, 
and crawl under logs, and I had a terrible time making a 
path. I found the “poor partridge,” and picked it up in my 
mouth, but Oh! I dropped it, for it was dead, and it gave 
me such a shock. I had never touched anything uncooked 
in my life — all my meat is cooked — so, of course, it made a 
funny chill run over my long body, and the chill was so much 
harder because I was so large ; but all pain is harder for long 
people than for short people, for the chill has farther to go 
in order to reach its destination. What a funny thing a 
chill is. It reminds me of an automobile running along, here 
in one place now, then, before you can catch your breath, 
it has fled. However, I carried the “poor partridge” by the 
wing and dropped it at my master’s feet. I really thought 
he would feel sorry, but he didn’t cry. You know men are 
not so tender-hearted as women. I hope my master will 
not ask me to carry his parcels again, for I want to obey; 
still, I cannot stand such shocks. I’ll tell you a joke on my 
master, right here. The game-warden got after the hunters, 
but they did not catch him. We left the next day. The 
other fellows lost their guns and had to appear in court, 
but I heard they had been shooting all season without a 
license, so their guns were taken for punishment. People 
cannot disobey the law without being punished. 

I started to tell you about my trip, and got switched off 
again from my first track. I have never written a story be- 
fore, so you must bear with my shortcomings. 

We left Chicago one pleasant morning on the North- 
western train, and traveled through a most beautiful country, 
passing Madison, the capital of Wisconsin, and her pictur- 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


71 


esque lakes. We got off at a place called Kirkland, on the 
shore of Devil’s Lake, and were ushered into a nice little 
cottage right by the water’s edge. I sized this up, for I cal- 
culated on having daily, and maybe hourly, swims. I was 
more than pleased. We all slept in this three-room abode, 
but my family seemed to be invited out to all their meals. 
As soon as a big horn would blow, they would go to the pa- 
vilion, where a lady filled them up with plenty of good things 
to eat. I was left in the cottage, and had my meals served 
there. I should have lots rather gone to the dining-room 
for my meals, but I guess my family thought that they were 
pleasing me and saving me the trip three times a day, for 
I did have to play very hard every day. They certainly 
had fine cooking up there, and all fruits and vegetables 
from the landlady’s own farm. This lady was Mrs. Kirk, 
and she was very good to children and dogs. She gave me 
plenty of fresh milk and all I wanted to eat. We enjoyed 
that place beyond description, and we expect to go there 
again. The water in the lake is so soft it feels as if you are 
soaped all over. It is slippery feeling, you know. Then it 
is so clear that you can go in bathing and look down and 
count your toes. When we left for home, this good lady 
gave us a basket of luscious grapes, grown in her own vine- 
yard, back of our cottage. This is a fine place to go, boys 
and girls. My coat was never so clean and glossy as while 
there taking my swims in this soft water; the sand on the 
beach, too, was so white and clean that I could use it for my 
bath-towel. It is an ideal place, and we all have a yearning 
for the “Kirk Farm.” I will describe to my little readers, 
who have not been there, something of the beauties of this 
resort. The wonderful formations of the rocks, with their 
lovely coloring, is a picture that you will have to see yourself 
in order to appreciate it. I may show you a picture or two 
if I have space in my book. The pastures were fine, and 
the orchards with plenty of apples, dandy for boys; also 


72 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


places for hazelnuts in quantities attracted lots of attention. 
I used to go with the crowd, unless they climbed the bluffs, 
then I was left at home. And, if they only knew it, I could 
climb better than any of them, for I have soft cushions on 



Tomahawk Rock 


my feet which adhere to the stones. The big folks say that 
you can see all over when you get to the top of these little 
mountains, and that the lake and everything else looks like 
a small picture of a grand landscape. One small bluff I did 
climb, as my curiosity got the better of me, and there I saw 
a big rock, just the shape of an elephant. It was called 



MASTER ST. ELMO 


73 


“Elephant rock.” I was a little afraid of it at first, until I 
saw children putting their hands on it, so I went up and dis- 
covered it was a cold elephant, and quite tame. 

I think you would like to hear about a friend of mine, a 
real personal friend, who lived here in a tent just for the 



“ A Cold Elephant, and Quite Tame ” 

summer. Her name was “Miss Guess,” but, being familiar 
with her, I knew her as “Guess.” She was really the smart- 
est dog that I had ever become acquainted with in all of my 
pilgrimages. Her clothes were black and white, just in the 
latest fashion, and she had a beautiful bushy tail. I rather 
envied her that tail, as it was a fine fly and mosquito brush; 
and look at mine, no feathers on it at all — that dreadful wind 
in Kansas blew all mine off when I was a puppy. Well, 
“Guess’s” family consisted of a master and a mistress and 


74 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


herself, just as many as in my family, lacking one, and they 
all lived in a tent and dined there, too. I used to spend lots 
of spare time there, and they were very good to me. I 
could fill the rest of the book with what they did and how 
they treated me, but I must not be partial, as other friends 
are waiting for their pictures and characters to be read. 
But a little about “ Guess.” Don’t you see she looks smart ? 
She could add or subtract up to seven, giving you the correct 
answer in barks; she would tell you how old she was, and 
she did many hard tricks. The best and cutest, I think, 
that she did was to play the piano and sing. This is really 
so, cross my heart. One evening we were up at the camp, 
and it was pitch dark when we started for our cottage; so 
her master said in a voice just as he used to talk to us: 
“Guess, you go with these friends and show them the path, 
and bring the lantern back to me.” Nothing more was said, 
and we started with the lantern, she running ahead picking 
the path. When we got to our cottage, Guess stopped in 
front of my master, looked up in his face, and waited until 
he put the handle of the lantern in her mouth; then she 
found the path and returned with the lantern safely to her 
master in the camp. She was the best trained dog we had 
met with, and the family always spoke to her in a gentle, 
kind way, saying, if she seemed tired, and they could see 
that she would rather not do her tricks, “Doesn’t the little 
girl want to do her arithmetic ?” I had a chance one eve- 
ning to get a little boom my way. You see, I had been spoiled 
so I did my tricks only when I felt like it. They never could 
depend upon me — I had to be just in the humor to do mine. 
So this night a company was on our porch and wanted to 
see and hear “Guess” perform. Of course, I insisted also, 
but she put her head on her master’s knee and her paw in 
his hand, and looking up into his face with her soft, ex- 
pressive eyes whispered, “Please excuse me, master, I am 
so warm and tired.” So he did not urge her, as he said 



Miss Guess 










•» 



















\ 

• 










* 




MASTER ST. ELMO 


77 


that she never refused when she felt well. She was a ner- 
vous, delicate little dog, and they never urged her. How I 
wish every one understood us poor dogs! The joke came 
in here: when she asked to be excused for not perform- 
ing, I stepped forward and stood before my master, and 
offered him my paw, the right one, and he “caught on” that 
I was ready to do my tricks. So he asked me to count 
three, which I did; then he said, “How many are two and 
two ?” I barked four times. Then to another question 
as to my age, I barked five times, for I was five years old; 
then I turned around and sat down in my master’s lap. 
Again, my master held a piece of candy in his right hand 
and I barked one, so I got that; he held another piece in 
his left hand, I barked two for the left. I also ate that 
piece. I then sang for them in my loudest bass voice, and, 
after completing my performance, I was sent to sit down 
in mama’s lap, which I did with a very satisfied feeling. 
How the guests all laughed, and my family was so tickled, 
as they did not pose me as a trick dog. But with all this, I 
still hold out that “Guess” is the smarter, for she must 
surely reason; so “I take off my hat to ‘Miss Guess.’” I 
do hope I shall see her again, for we agreed so nicely. She 
is more beautiful than her picture, which is always the case 
when ladies have a picture taken. We bade farewell to our 
dear friends and to “Guess” one lovely morning, and left 
this enchanted place for Baraboo. Look on your maps and 
find this place. After taking in this little town we got into 
a three-seated bus and started over to a place where lots of 
brides and grooms spend their honeymoon (my family went 
there twelve years ago on theirs). This place is called “The 
Dells,” and Kilbourn City is the fashionable place to have 
your baggage checked to, but we had ours in the bus, al- 
though when my family was on their wedding trip their 
baggage was carted to the hotel in a little hand-wagon. It 
was five o’clock in the morning when they arrived, and it 


78 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


was too early for the bus, so they had to walk two blocks to 
reach the hotel. That was not very stylish when they were 
on their wedding trip, I imagine, but it had to be done. 
Others suffered the same mortification. Just to think ! 
Upon the first morning of your honeymoon, when you want 
to show how very important you are, to take your sweet, 
trusting bride to a hotel following her trousseau in a “Sara- 
toga” on a wagon drawn by a small man. Was that not 
swell ? The family seem to think it a great joke now, for 
they often laugh about that trip. 

On this ride over to “The Dells,” we had the benefit of 
some charming scenery, but lots of dust. My master en- 
gaged a three-seated omnibus so as to take out one seat 
and give me a place to lie down. Do you think I could lie 
down when we were passing so many sights — such as 
farms, cows, country dogs, and all sorts of things ? So I just 
ignored the place allotted to me, and crowded between my 
mama and my mistress, and sat down on the seat. I never 
can avoid seeing all that is going on. After we had gone a 
long way we stopped at a farm, and all got out. I was glad 
to straighten ouUmy legs again, as I felt rather stiff riding so 
long. This time we stayed at “Berry’s Farm,” or “Cold 
Water Canon Farm,” as some call it. 

This was another place where we had fine table-board, 
and where I got plenty of fresh milk. I like good milk and I 
am very thankful that they analyze all milk in Chicago, for 
I have to drink different cows’ milk there. We had another 
cottage at this farm, and I was extra happy, for they had so 
many cows, calves, horses, and chickens that I was very 
busy getting acquainted with their ways. It is so queer to 
me; each cow seems to have her own idea about dogs, and 
one never knows quite how to approach her. My mistress 
seems to understand their language better than I, for she 
walks right up to them, scratches their heads, and puts her 
arms around a cow that makes a face at me and runs with 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


79 


her horns to the ground after me; for my mistress seems to 
boss even a cow, and cows are generally bossies. My mis- 
tress goes to the “Zoo” and pets the big lion, “Prince,” who 
lets her scratch his back. She is painting his picture, and 
if it is good I will show you a picture of it later, for he is a 
handsome lion. The lady on 
this farm was very kind to me, 
and to all children. The 
calves being so young they 
did not know what kind of 
four-legged animal I was, so 
they would stand as if dumb 
and watch me with great curi- 
osity. You see, some folks 
say that I look like a calf, be- 
ing the color of some “Jer- 
seys”; so the little children- 
cows did not know but that 
I was their brother. Their 
“mas” always knew what I 
was. Other people say that 
I look like a deer. What do I look like, little people ? 

“The Dells” is a most beautiful place, and I shall try to 
show you some pictures of the rocks. The canons are very 
cool and peculiar, winding in and out, with beautiful mosses 
and foliage about; even ferns grow from the rocks and make 
charming pictures. It is a treat upon a scorching day to 
rest in one of these beautiful, cool canons, away from the 
noise and worry of life. And in these restful spots my 
thoughts turned to my own life; and I collected my first frag- 
ments of this little story for you, dear children, there in those 
enchanting dreamlands, with the birds singing their happy 
songs of welcome, the crickets and katydids chirping their 
thankfulness for nature’s beauty, and the cunning squirrels 
and chipmunks playing hide-and-seek amongst the beauti- 



80 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


fill ferns. Then listen, the restless river flows on and on, 
reminding one of his life as it ebbs on. Sometimes, as 
smoothly it flows, one thinks of the beauties and peace of 



“ My Thoughts Turned to my Own Life, and I Collected my First 
Fragments of this Little Story for You, Dear Children ” 

life; then again, of the turmoil, as the river rushes in mad 
frenzy and furiously spends its force in the greater “Father 
of Waters,” ending its life in the Gulf of Mexico. It was 
when the river (the Wisconsin River is the one I am speak- 
ing of) was in a happy mood that we liked it the best ; when we 
could see little sparkling bubbles that made us think it was 



MASTER ST. ELMO 


81 


happy. At these times we could sit and dream of but one 
side of life, the beautiful, the peaceful, the thankful, most 
thankful for all the glorious nature our Creator had bestowed 
upon all who could see the wonderful and appreciate His 
master hand in the creation of so magnificent a picture. 



“The Little Children-Cows did not Know but that I was 
their Brother” 


How I wish all tired-out men, women, children, animals, 
and dogs could spend a month each year in such a place; 
but if they cannot, how I wish they could see as much of 
nature as possible, and really learn to love the beautiful 
trees, birds, and flowers, and everything that can help to 
make the hardest walks in life easier for the weary f 3et. 

This fascinating place, known as “The Dells,” is where 
so many “honeymoons” are spent, as I hear the big folks tell 
about. Now, I do not fully understand about these moons, 
but folks say it is this way. A beautiful young girl (when 



MASTER ST. ELMO 


she is rich enough she is a “debutante,” and if her papa be so 
rich that he builds universities and libraries, she is then called 
an “heiress”), well, she gets married to a duke (or any kind 
of man with a handle to his name), and they are made man 
and wife by a minister dressed in a long, white dress, with a 



Handsome Prince, Lincoln Park Zoo. Chicago 


book in his hand. This is after all the fuss is over of getting 
ready for a splurge. She has been fitted to gowns until she 
has no shape left. She has attended dinners, teas, balls, the- 
aters, until her eyes and head are dazed; she has had hand- 
kerchief showers, pillow showers, tin showers, and china 
showers until she has the real tear showers ; then bonnets, 
gloves, and every imaginable thing that can be bought to fill 
the “Saratoga” is purchased for that sweet young girl to spend 
weary hours in donning in order to appear charming, when, 
if she but knew it, she would look much more bewitching in 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


83 


a dainty, white dress with a simple flower-hat upon her pretty 
head. Well, after all this, comes the time for her to look 
her best, but she has dark circles around her eyes, and is a 
nervous wreck. So, after the ceremony, and after the rice 
has been showered, they go away to rest up and get ac- 
quainted, and to wonder whether it is worth while to get mar- 
ried. Of course, in their rush to the carriage, to avoid carry- 
ing away pounds of rice, and not to appear just married, 
they overlook the white ribbons and old shoes tied to their 
carriage, and only “come to” when they walk into their state- 
room and find it all decorated with white ribbons and orange- 
blossoms, and notice that all the people in the car have a 
peculiar smile (not in the least interesting to the bride and 
groom) ; then, poor girl, when she takes off that lovely trav- 
eling hat, the porter appears just in time to scrape up enough 
rice to serve for dinner. I suppose the dining-car managers 
wish they had wedding parties every hour in the day ; it is a 
bonanza for them. You little children may not understand 
all this about brides any more than I do, but if you have a 
big sister contemplating marriage, just let her read this, in a 
corner by herself, and then she will know what to do, so as to 
be smarter than her friends. You see, my mistress was a 
bride once, and I feel sure she doubly appreciates what I 
have told her here. 


CHAPTER XVII 


We left this enchanting spot and returned to the “ con- 
trasty” place, Chicago, — but don’t you think that I do not 
like Chicago, for I still think her the greatest city in the 
world. Only, coming home meant to me formal walks, 
dog-catchers, muzzles, and lots of unpleasant things to con- 
tend with. As soon as I got home “Fritz” ran up to me, 
but I did not notice him. I was giving him a lesson, so that 
he would be more polite to other dogs. I meant to make 
up with him, however, as soon as I felt sure that he was 
sorry and that he understood his lesson. 

I was glad to see “Jack.” He lived on Prairie Avenue, 
and he was a beautiful cocker spaniel. His real name was 
Master John, but as we were familiar with him (that is, our 
family) we called him “Jack.” He was as black and as 
glossy as the prettiest piece of black satin that you ever saw. 
He was very smart, but did not do any tricks, as his parents 
did not believe in making him anything but natural. He 
visited me a week, and I shared my meals and milk with him. 
I used to laugh at him when he drank milk. His long silky 
ears would drop into the dish, and I often wished that I could 
tie them up with red ribbons, and I guess he wished so, too, 
for he always had to wash his ears after a meal. Jack seems 
to love my mistress next to his family, and he nearly goes 
wild when she calls on him now. For, even after months 
of absence, he never forgets her, and makes more fuss than 
I do when she has been away. I am affectionate, but I do 
not show my feelings very much. So, sometimes my family 
say that St. Elmo is kind and loving, but does not seem to 
adore them as some dogs do their families. That is a mis- 
take, however, for I do love them beyond description, only 

84 



My Friend Jack 































MASTER ST. ELMO 


87 


I have a way of my own in showing my feelings. I try to 
be manly and not too effeminate. Jack gave me a nice 
bean-bag for Christmas, and we correspond when we are 
parted. 

Nothing happened worth mentioning that winter, so I 
shall continue with my next outing. 

First, I must tell you what happened at my house on the 
first day of May. I went downstairs as usual in the morn- 
ing after breakfast (I am not an early riser), and I found 
things in the greatest upheaval; everything seemed alive and 
tumbling over each other. What a topsy-turvy mess things 
were in, and what on earth were they doing ? Had every- 
body and everything gone mad in the night ? Even the 
pictures seemed to walk right off the walls. My! but this 
was a puzzle for me, and it was made worse when my 
master came down, and sizing up the situation, exclaimed, 
“What in the world will you do with all this truck ? It will 
take a whole storehouse to hold this rubbish. I guess I’ll 
go to my office. Good-by !” I wished that he had invited me 
to go with him, for there was no place to go, no place to 
sleep, no rugs to lie down on. What a friendless sort of 
chap one is when moving-day comes ! I waited at the dining- 
room door until my mistress came through; then my eyes 
nearly popped out of my head, for she was dressed so differ- 
ently from anything that I had ever seen her togged up in. 
I was sure that she had lost her senses, for she had a towel 
tied around her head, like a Turk; gloves, with the tips of 
the fingers cut off; and she was talking as fast as she could 
to three big men. I suppose she was bossing them. After 
things had cooled down a little, my mistress sat down on a 
box and thought a while. Then she said to my mama, “It 
may be that they will not take St. Elmo.” My! did your 
heart ever sink way down into the toe of your boot ? Mine 
did. I commenced to ponder. Was I to be left in this 
desolate house, with the furniture all scrapping and appar- 


88 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


ently throwing things at each other ? I never felt so blue. 
Ask your little dog and yourself, and above all your papa, 
how he likes house-cleaning time, or especially moving-day. 
My master returned at noon and took away my mistress 
with him, so that settled it for me. I was simply heart- 
broken. I ran upstairs to see if they had taken “ mom.” 
She was still there, packing her trunk. I was thankful 
that she had not been invited. I always watch at the 
window for my master in the evening. I know the time 
that he gets home; I just feel it, and the family often wonder 
how I know the time. The time-piece is inside of me, and 
tells me when to look for my master, just as the thermom- 
eter in my stomach tells me it is time to eat. So, at the 
proper moment I was at the window, when, to my joy, my 
two owners appeared. (I think they form a partnership, too, 
just as “Nip” and “Tuck” do. My mistress attends to 
the social end, and my master the business end.) As soon 
as the door was opened I sprang to them, and the first thing 
my mistress said, was, “Well, St. Elmo, we have found a 
place for you where they will take Dogs.” Isn’t it a conde- 
scension to take us to board ? But I must not be sarcastic, 
as I have been very fortunate about having good landladies. 
So we boarded for a year after that upheaval. 

We boarded on the South Side, by the lake, and I spent 
lots of time in the water and in visiting Jackson Park. It 
was here that we found some poor homeless dogs. People 
said that they probably had been taken by unprincipled 
men and boys to sell for vivisection purposes, and that they 
had got away before they had been made prisoners. My mis- 
tress is very much opposed to the practice of vivisection, and 
she helps all the unfortunate dogs she can. So I brought 
home one day to the boarding-house a stray dog, his sides 
nearly meeting with hunger. My mistress gave him some 
warm food, also a bath, and after keeping him a week, she 
found a good home for him. He was a pretty dog after he had 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


89 


been cleaned and had fleshed up a little. He now resides in 
Englewood. We named him Pinto. Here is his picture, after 
a week of kind treatment. How he loved my mistress ! He 



Grateful Pinto 

would put his paw into her hand and rest his head on her knee, 
and look up into her face with such grateful eyes, that even 
a dog would cry to see how thankful he was to be treated 
kindly. This was the second dog that we housed that 
winter. This one we did not ask the police to find a home 
for, as we did not wish to get again into the papers; but the 



90 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


first little stray fellow I brought home got his name into the 
paper. It was a joke on my mistress, but it found him a 
good home. I will let you read what the “Daily News” wrote 
up. Of course, you know he did not play “Ping-Pong.” This 
“write-up” brought many persons to the police station to get 
him, and some came in carriages. My mistress also got 
letters asking for the dog, and telephone messages. She 
replied to each personally, and asked that the interest 
might be taken in other stray dogs and cats who were not 
so famous. 


PING-PONG DOG’S FATE 

[From the “Daily News,” December 18, 1902.] 

Noisy delight in the game of ping-pong has caused Tinto, a trick 
terrier recently adopted by Mrs. William F. Senour, to languish in the 
Hyde Park police station until another kind owner shall claim him, 
and meanwhile Mrs. Senour is regretting the fact that life in one of the 
most fashionable of Hyde Park boarding-houses precludes the possession 
of a dog who will insist on speaking his mind. 

Tinto was adopted by Mrs. Senour several days ago. Her beautiful 
English greyhound, St. Elmo, who has as kind a place in his heart for 
homeless strays as she has, brought the handsome little waif into his 
mistress’s apartments one evening about supper-time, and showed by 
every action that Tinto was welcome to share his bed and board. After 
supper St. Elmo was put through his regular drill of telling his age, 
counting and performing sums in addition, when Tinto was noticed 
to be uneasy With a sharp little bark, he ran to the ping-pong table, 
and, jumping upon it, seized a racket in his teeth. His newly found 
mistress tossed a ball across the net to him, and, meeting it full with 
the surface of the bat, he returned it across the net. The joy in the dis- 
covery of a new trick for dogs was general in the Senour apartments, 
even St. Elmo, who is usually very quiet, entering into the spirit of the 
thing. In the heat of the game, however, Tinto would bark, and that 
was the beginning of a very sad story. Tinto, who was fond of looking 
at the lake from his mistress’s window, would bark his delight when an 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


91 


especially large breaker would dash its foamy crest high over the break- 
water. 

The end of the matter was that Tinto had to be banished from the 
society of the select and exclusive, and his mistress, in despair, took him 
to the Hyde Park police station in the hope of finding a good home for 
the little pet to which she had become so much attached. The first time 
she took him over, Tinto begged so hard to go back with her that she 
yielded, and again smuggled him into the forbidden domains. This 
morning, however, she bade him a final adieu and left him with his pet 
base-ball, which entertained him when not playing ping-pong, together 
with a box of crackers, and intrusted him to the care of Sergeant John 
Hogan. 

Tinto was suffering from a ping-pong ankle, and he was tenderly re- 
ceived by the police officers, who promised to do all in their power to 
find a good home for the little animal, and sent out a message in the hope 
of finding the original owner. Tinto’s occupation now consists of play- 
ing base-ball with the reserve force and eating the supply of crackers left 
by his mistress. 

“Tinto” was a little “dachshund,” black and tan, with 
very short, bowed legs. He evidently had been allowed to 
stand upon his feet too early in babyhood. My mistress 
did take him to the station, and the desk sergeant said he 
would find a good home for him, so my mistress turned to 
go, when she heard a little voice say, “Please don’t leave 
me,” and looking back she saw “Tinto” sitting up on his 
haunches and looking with longing eyes at his new mistress. 
She of course could not leave him after that, so she brought 
him back home, and the next day she had some one else take 
him to the station, where after the notice in the paper he 
found his rightful owner. Many thanks to the “police 
officers” and to the “Daily News” for interesting the public 
in homeless animals. 


CHAPTER XVIII 


The next May we went to a beautiful suburban village, 
where we now live. I like it the best of all, for I can run all 
day without a muzzle and every one is kind to me, even if 
I do run into their houses without an invitation and look 
all over their dining-room table for their cream-pitchers. 

The first thing my mistress did was to take me to the 
Town Hall and register me a two dollars’ worth. She made 
me tell how old I was, which was six years old last Fourth of 
July, you remember. I was sent a bright tag stamped No. 1, 
which meant that I was the first dog registered. You see I 
am a citizen of the village now, and I have to pay two dollars 
a year to help support the town, which I am only too proud 
to be allowed to do. When I was boarding here the year be- 
fore I was an honorary member of the village, so I did not 
pay taxes and I appreciate the courtesy bestowed upon me. 

When we first came here, we boarded with such a good 
lady, as we could not get rooms at the hotel, it being filled. 
This lady took us as a favor and we stayed until our house 
was ready. She let me sleep on a nice, soft lounge in my 
master’s bed-chamber and gave me good things to eat ; so I 
dearly love her, and when I see her, I jump up and kiss her on 
the cheek. My family say they cannot understand why I 
kiss her and no one else, but I will tell them here : it is because 
she let me go to bed in the evening with her little boy Dex- 
ter, and when the big people went up to bed they found us 
each night asleep together ; each one had a pillow, and how 
I did enjoy this. I’ll tell you a cute thing the little boy used 
to do. When he was sent up in the evening to study his lessons, 
he would say, “May St. Elmo go up to my room while I 
study?” and my mistress would say “Yes.” So up I 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


93 


would start, but did we study any lessons ? Ask this boy 
friend of mine. We always went to bed tired, so you can 
guess we had a romp. He was very good to me, and so I 
am always glad to see him. I was pleased when I found 
out we were going to have a house to live in, for I like an 
upstairs to a house since I have learned so well how to climb. 

The first day I entered the new house, I was a little dis- 
appointed, as I saw nothing but bare floors and walls; but 
the second day I found to my delight the same old boxes, 
barrels, pictures, furniture, and rugs, and this time they all 
looked peaceful and orderly. My mistress was beaming with 
happiness over the meeting with her old possessions, making a 
“ contrasty ” picture to the one of the May before when the 
hurly-burly impressionistic picture was painted, never to be 
effaced from my memory, when everything was on the war- 
path. “Moving-day, May, 1902,” is the title of this paint- 
ing- 

Our house is just a little distance from my boy friend’s, 
but I never am allowed to go there alone, as the “Choo- 
choo” car tracks have to be crossed to go there, and the 
family always hold my collar for fear that I shall be run over. 
Imagine a big dog like me having to be directed where to go ! 
I do feel so silly, especially when the children, or other dogs 
are passing. When I had been here a month, I cut my back 
on a barb-wire fence (such a fence should be condemned), 
and my mistress thought I had been bitten by a dog; so she 
hurried me off to the train ; but there was no train to Chicago 
for an hour; then we went to the street-car line, and the con- 
ductor said that dogs could not ride on these cars ; after a few 
seconds of pleading, however, I was pushed up some steps 
into the car. My mistress paid five cents for me, and the 
man pulled a bell to say that I was paid for; but I had to stay 
on the back platform, and my mistress stayed with me, for 
she is very faithful to me. We then got on the elevated 
train, and I rode in the car, sitting on a seat and looking out 


94 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


of the window. It seemed very funny to be whizzing along in 
the air, and I wished that Klondyke could have this experi- 
ence with me. I did not feel quite certain of this flying 
machine, and when it made me go from side to side, I had 
the same dizzy feeling that I had when I took my first ride 
on that Iron Horse. My ! but I have learned lots since the 
first day that I left Kansas, and I do wish that all the dogs of 
that windy place could learn as much. I have a tender spot 
in my heart for Kansas, for it was bright and sunny there 
even if the wind did blow all my hair off. 

Well, I got into Chicago and down to the veterinary sur- 
geon who examined me one dollar and a half’s worth, and 
said it was no bite, only a cut by wire. I knew how I got it, 
but my stupid mistress could not understand me. She was 
greatly rejoiced, and telephoned my master to come and 
meet us and take us back to the country. I forgot to tell you 
that I had two severe operations at different times, and two 
tumors removed from my knee by this splendid surgeon, 
Doctor White, and he said that I was a hero, for I stayed on 
the operating-table, and they did not have to tie my mouth. 
I watched his performance and tried to think it did not 
hurt, as I felt sure he was doing it for my good, so I was 
patient. Let me tell you how I got those horrid bumps. 
In our Calumet house was a window bench just wide enough 
for me to lie on, and such a splendid place to see all that was 
going on outside, and still be on the inside away from the 
flies (when I say flies I shake all over). The family had 
it nicely padded when I came to live with them, but after 
my constant camping on it, the cushion wore thin, so that 
every time I jumped down I scraped my knees and soon 
made a lump; then again, I had to wear a harness when I 
was going on a trip, and when I would lie down the buckle 
came where my knee did, so that also helped to enlarge this 
bump. My family did not know this or I never should have 
suffered, for as soon as they found out what caused my 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


95 


troubles, they had a new window cushion for me and the 
hard buckle changed, but not until I had cost them a 
twenty-dollar william” for operations. My harness was 
made where they made harnesses for horses, and it was all 
right at first, but I grew so fast that the buckle could not keep 
up with me, so we became a misfit. 

There are some very nice and polite dogs out here. My 
very particular friend is “Captain,” a brown setter. We 
understand each other and have great sport. My nearest 
neighbor is a brown water-spaniel, ‘ ‘ Brownie, ’ ’ but he is a 
little particular about getting acquainted too soon; so we 
just speak. I think he is a wee bit jealous, as he has a young 
master and mistress who are very dear to him, and he does 
not want any one else to share their petting; then too, 
he was here first, and ‘ ‘ possession is nine points in the law, ’ 9 
so I have only one point. Well, we do not quarrel, and as 
my family and “Brownie’s” family agree, of course we 
shall some day be friends. I shall, however, ask him to 
my next birthday party, but I hope he will not bring me a 
woolly-puzzle dog. “Buster Brown” gave me a pointer on 
how to have parties, so I am going to try it next time, only I 
hope my presents will not be returned. I shall be 4 ‘foxy” and 
tell my friends to bring me things to eat; so that they can be 
consumed before the time to return them comes. Let me 
think ! I should like best of all a bone, for that is what I 
never get, as my family say that bones make me ill, and the 
doctor also said I could not have them as my digestive 
machinery inside was too delicate to grind up bones; next 
would come English walnuts, next cake, then candy, then 
ice-cream — I could eat about a quart of that, sure. Oh 
yes! I forgot vaseline! I am very partial to that; it’s next 
to butter, which I think comes second in my likes. I have 
a good many toys. This Christmas I received in my stock- 
ings a rubber humpty-dumpty doll, a squeaky ball, a bean 
bag from Aunt Lillie, a new blue ribbon, and a bath. I 


96 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


seem to get baths on all holidays, so that didn’t count as a 
present. When I first came out here I could not find my 
playthings because the family was so slow in unpacking my 
things; they thought mine the least important, but I con- 
sidered them first; so I had to play with sticks until one day 
I saw some nice little children playing near our house. One 
of the children had something in her hand, and as I was very 
curious to see what it was (for at a distance it looked very 
much like my old woolly-dog, after the battle), I walked up to 
the wee girl and took it out of her hand and ran home as 
fast as I could. My! how she did yell; that was a funny 
thing for her to do, don’t you think ? When I got home, it 
was a poor, forlorn pussy-cat looking very much like my un- 
grateful puzzle-dog. She had no eyes, and only one ear, 
which made you think she was lopsided ; her nose and mouth 
had united, but she had a tail, the same kind of tail that my 
poor doggie had. I was very careful about the workman- 
ship of her interior, so I handled her quite carefully. My 
mistress tried to find the owner of pussy, but she could not, 
so she left her in plain sight on the walk for some days ; but 
would you believe that nobody would own her ? At last I 
took pity on her and brought her into the house and she is 
now on my mistress’s desk as she is writing at my dictation 
to-day. I love her best of all my playthings, for I always did 
love the poor homeless animals the best. 


CHAPTER XIX 


I have enjoyed calling upon some cats, the ones you see 
in the basket; two of them were never agreeable to me, but 
the quiet little fellow would come up to me and purr, and I 
would stroke his soft fur with my nose. The one standing 
up was so very impudent, even rude, that she took the lib- 
erty one day to scratch me on my nose, so after that I never 
cared for her society. I had a little unpleasant experience 
with a dog when I was at the hotel, which I forgot to men- 
tion. There was a black and white cocker spaniel named 
“Dewey”; he was a small one, but very aristocratic, and he 
boarded with his family at the hotel. He had been there 
so long that he considered it his property and that every one 
around belonged to him, so when I came, as he thought an 
usurper, he snarled at me, and said in a very important 
way, ‘ 4 Go away from my home, you can’t play in my front 
yard, I am boss of this place.” 

I went to my mistress and put my head on her arm and 
she told me not to mind the little dog, that he would soon 
get acquainted, and be more affable : he did not do as we had 
expected but took every occasion to remind me that I was 
intruding. I stood this for some days, until one evening, 
when lots of folks were out on the lawn and I was passing 
him, he turned and spoke unkind words to me. This time 
I was not in the best of humor, so I turned and said to him 
“Boo! Boo!” He was very much surprised because he 
had thought me timid, but after that he grew quite polite, 
and soon found the way to our rooms when he wanted a 
drink of milk out of my bowl, or some of my dog biscuits. 
He is a neighbor of mine now, and a real nice little sort of 
chap, so I shall invite him to my party. I must show you a 

97 


98 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


picture of 4 4 Quentin Durward , 5 ’ for he is a particular friend 
of mine, and a most beautiful collie. His nationality is 
Scotch, and he was the next dog after 4 4 Dewey ’ ’ that I knew 
out here. He was polite to me from the introduction, which 



\ 


She Took the Liberty One Day to Scratch Me on my Nose 


was on the street. He took me to his house, asked me up- 
stairs and all over, had his 4 4 mama” give me cookies and 
milk, and was very kind. We went out to play in his large 
yard, and after a time I wanted a drink, so he took me up on 
a neighbor’s porch where they always kept water for their 
dog and showed it to me, then he stepped aside, and I took 
a drink, and after I had finished he took his drink. This 
is the truth; he is very polite about everything, and he is the 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


99 


prettiest collie that I ever saw. He sleeps at his master’s 
bedside and goes to sleep with his paw in his master’s hand. 
Another reason why I enjoy life out here is because I can 
ride around the country, and I like that much better than 
walking. I usually have a seat reserved for me, and if I am 
not invited I feel very unhappy. One day not long ago some 
city people came to see us and there was an odd number, 



Quentin Durward 


so I had to stay at home. I just stood at that window all 
the time that they were gone, watching for the horse to come 
back, and when it did, after what seemed to me hours, I could 
hardly wait for them to alight, but I jumped right in and 
occupied the whole seat. The two gentlemen were so 
amused that they started up the horse and took me to the 
barn, and they had to insist upon my getting out, for I did 
want a longer ride so b&dly. You see when my family go 
for a drive there is always a seat for me, as we are just four; 
but when we have company and take a three-seated rig, I 


L.of C. 




100 MASTER ST. ELMO 

am left out, and what is strange to me, no one ever stays home 
and lets me go in his place. Now I am speaking of myself 
again, I must tell you how I became the proud possessor of 
my name, St. Elmo. There is a beautiful book named ‘ 4 St. 
Elmo , 5 5 written by a charming author, Mrs. Augusta Evans 
Wilson, whom my mistress loves and admires more than any 
other author; so when she was fourteen years old she read 
this famous book, and at that time promised herself a grey- 
hound, whom she would call “St. Elmo,” so you see I was 
named years before I came into this wonderful world. If 
you have never read Mrs. Wilson’s “St. Elmo,” do read it 
as soon as you are old enough to appreciate such a delight- 
ful, beautifully written book. The language is perfect, and 
is an education in itself, with a moral, good and healthy, 
pure and beautiful. It is my mistress’s great privilege and 
pleasure to correspond with this most noted author, and in 
one of the letters in which the writer speaks of me, she kindly 
says “your noble St. Elmo,” and “your handsome St. 
Elmo.” Now, boys, should not I be real good and kind 
when I am appreciated by one who is so renowned and be- 
loved as Mrs. Augusta Evans Wilson P This is my tribute 
to this kind friend who bestowed upon me the beautiful name 
of “St. Elmo.” 


CHAPTER XX 


Oh, yes ! I almost forget to tell you a joke which turned 
out to be a joke on the other fellow. Well! I have a little 
bad habit of getting on the beds when the family is not 
looking; as they do not believe in whippings, they have a 
hard time breaking me of this careless habit. My master 
thought one day he would scare me “plumb through,” so that 
I would never get on the bed again ; he found me asleep there, 
and next to me my mama’s Sunday hat-box (it was naughty, 
too, to be on the bed instead of on the closet shelf where it 
belonged) ; so my master took the clock, set the alarm care- 
fully so that it would ring exactly at 6 p. m., and then went 
back to bed (for he had been playing off sick all that day, 
but he could not stand it any longer, and so he had to get 
into mischief) ; he then called my mistress who was down- 
stairs and they both sat like geese upon the edge of their 
bed waiting for the frightful shock to my nerves. I was 
having such a nice sleep, dreaming of the country, of swim- 
ming, and of my friends “Nip” and “Tuck,” when with- 
out a minute’s warning, “ting-a-ling” went something at my 
ear, and I immediately guessed it was in that Sunday hat- 
box; so instead of jumping for my life, I merely stretched 
my elastic neck (elastic is the polite name for rubber) and 
peeped into the box, but to my dismay it would not stop. 1 
then looked into the next room at my giggling family and 
saw that they were too stupid to help the poor clock out of 
its sufferings, so I peeped in again, and it recognized me as 
a friend and stopped crying. I then put down my head 
and was in dreamland once more, leaving my disap- 
pointed family to conjure up in their mighty brains what 
scheme to try next. But what a joke on my family. I 

101 


102 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


know they felt flat, and they could hardly look me in the 
eye that evening. 

I had to go to the dentist’s the other day and that made 
me good for a while; if there is any one thing I dislike more 
than another it is dentistry. I should not mind it so much 
if a gentleman in a clean, white linen jacket, who seemed to 
be the business end of a machine which buzzed like mad, 
did not put it into my mouth. Whizz ! I never knew whether 
my head was whirling or whether the world was twirling, 
whirling around, it felt like a “merry-go-round” at a cir- 
cus. With the first whirl you lose your breath and wonder 
where you w T ill join it again. It is quite fashionable to have 
your teeth filled with gold and diamonds, so of course we 
must suffer a little to be fashionable, even in the canine four 
hundred. My teeth are not filled, however, for I only had 
mine cleaned, so I do not possess any gold or diamonds in 
my mouth. 

I met with a small accident last Tuesday just as part of 
my family was going into Chicago for a luncheon. I stepped 
on a piece of something sharp and cut my third toe; it really 
did hurt, and of course the red blood dripped all over 
the porch, and my mistress was very much frightened. I 
tried to show her that I was sorry to keep her waiting, when 
the carriage was ready, too, but she would dress my foot 
before she left, and she told “Tenie” to take care of me, 
and if I grew worse to telephone my master or the veterinary 
surgeon; but I got better, and I think when my mistress 
arrived at the luncheon in the city she never thought of me 
again, for do you know she did not come home until after 
dark, and poor me waiting sick in bed for her. When 
“folkses” go to luncheons and teas you can depend upon 
their getting home just at the last possible hair-breadth 
chance. My! if I ate from one o’clock until seven at 
night I should be filled up for years, I’m sure. I hear 
funny remarks sometimes about places I have never seen 



Look at Me! 


Togged up Like a Giri. 


'Vv 











• I 


* 









































* ' - * 

. 























MASTER ST. ELMO 


105 


place that always arouses my 
, I hear that word very often, 
‘ church, ’ ’ and I wonder what 


or been invited to. One 
curiosity is the “club”; nc 
it seems oftener than I hear 
a club is. Do you know, 
little people P Do your 
mothers go to a club, and 
do they ever take you ? I 
believe children do go 
sometimes now so the 
mothers can tog their little 
tots up and show them off. 

Maybe it will soon be 
Dog’s day, ’ ’ then I shall 
surely be invited; my fam- 
ily is very proud of showing 
me off, dressed up to kill, 
with ribbon of the most 
delicate blue around my 
neck (my neck was not 
made for a ribbon display 
rack), and I always get it 
soiled, and I wish they 
would not make me look 
so silly. Look at me in 
this picture, dressed in a 
lace skirt and waist, with a 
blue sash around my waist, 
and a girl’s sunbonnet. 

Now, that might do for the cunning “Miss Guess,” but to 
dress a boy up like a girl is a shocking shame, and I think 
they should legislate upon this. I seem to be the subject 
for posery in our studio, and all the old hats and old clothing 
they want to preserve by the art of photography, they tie 
on me, and I am obliged to support these fads. Now, this 
picture of me in a silk hat I do not object to, as I myself 



Myself Really can See that I 
Look Quite Manly.” 


106 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


really can see that I look quite manly, and if you can see the 
cigars in my vest pocket you will discover that I am a 
smoker. Of course I would not smoke one for anything, 
as I am opposed to tobacco, and especially to the smoke, 
but the effect is there. They tried to make me hold a pipe 
in my mouth, but this I positively refused to do. That might 
be all right for tramp dogs, but not for educated ones. 


CHAPTER XXI 


I have just come up from my dinner, so I will continue 
my dictating to my mistress. Do you know that I am fond 
of milk, and in particular, of cream ? There seems to be quite 
a difference in milks at our house. We have brought to us 
every morning milk in large bottles, and cream in small 
bottles. When I say cream, my throat seems to thirst right 
away, and I smack my lips. It is so good. They can’t fool 
me either, for sometimes they give me skimmed milk. We 
get this milk in another way, that is, a milk-man brings 
some at night in a bucket and this is set away. In the morn- 
ing the cream is taken off and the thin milk is left for cooking 
and for me. But don’t you think for a moment that I drink 
it, for I graduated from skimmed milk many days ago, and 
unless I see it poured out of a bottle and unless it is rich as 
my family use, I never accept any milk. Sometimes the 
ladies of the kitchen try to fool me, but the joke is on them, 
for they have to wash just one more dish, as I never wash it 
up for them, as I do when pure cream milk is given me. But 
what I do like to get is real cream out of the best silver 
pitcher which is put on the table. Now, I know that the 
best goes there, so I often watch for meal-time, as I go to the 
table just as the family are about to leave it, and it works 
every time, for they haven’t the heart to send me away with- 
out a little cream in a real china saucer. I am not allowed 
to go to the table, as my family think it is not the place for 
animals, but I lie down between the dining-room and the 
library, half of me in each room ; and in that way I see what 
is served for them, and yet I am only part way in the dining- 
room. I do not eat what is left from the table as I am not 
a vegetarian, so every day my order is sent to the meat- 


108 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


market, and I have fresh meat cooked each day. I live 
like a king, so I should not complain. When 1 go away 
each summer, although we board we always pay for my 
milk and meat, and one year we had to buy ice to keep the 
milk from spoiling. Milk has a way, you know, of getting 
cross. 

The way little children’s hair is cut now-a-days reminds 
me of something funny that happened when we were at Chan- 
nel Lake. There is a farm near this place for boys who have 
no parents or homes, and it is fathered by a good man who 
was once a minister. The boys learn farming in the summer 
and in the winter they learn banking and business, besides 
having their school each day. This place is called 4 4 Allendale 
Farm,” being named for the founder, who tries to make 
good men out of these poor, unfortunate boys. They earn 
small wages for their work, and help provide the home with 
vegetables from their farm. What a splendid charity this 
is. When the boys spend all their money they have to go 
without a “hair cut” or some pleasure until they earn more, 
so as not to be beggars. As we understand it, the idea is to 
carry on a business for them and they can borrow a few 
cents, and then promptly pay it back, as soon as they earn 
something. Now I am getting at the part that interested 
me, and it makes me laugh real hard. This good father 
wanted to give three of the little boys a day on the lake, as 
they were not very well; so he brought them from Antioch 
on foot to the lake where we were. After he had taken them 
for a boat-ride he brought them over to the hotel to let them 
look around. Of course you know that a man at a summer re- 
sort upon a week-day is a great curiosity, and is much sought 
after by the ladies, so the first thing that the unlucky man 
knew, he was surrounded by the fair sex, asking all manner 
of questions as to his business at the lake. They examined 
the boys and found that one had one side of his hair short 
and the other side long. Anything out of the ordinary, as you 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


109 


know, always interests the ladies, so after fishing around for 
the gentleman to tell them, they had to come out boldly and 
ask him. He said that the little chap had spent all his 
money and had only enough to pay for one-half of a ‘ ‘ hair 
cut, ’ 5 and so would have to wait until he made more to get 
the other side cut. Wasn’t that funny ? He did not have 
to wait long, for after they had all been invited in to dinner 
by the landlord, the gentleman thought he would cut the 
other side, for it would not be kind to make the child a 
mark of ridicule, which was very noble indeed of the man, 
for it is never kind to ridicule any man, woman, or child 
(only animals). But this father of the home did not 
know how to cut the boy’s hair, as he had only a man’s 
scissors, which is a pocket knife, and that would hardly 
do a nice job; so seeing my mama in her window, and 
knowing she was a motherly person, he quietly asked her 
if she would lend him her scissors, which she did, and 
had the little fellow come into her room, and it was turned 
into a tonsorial parlor before a bat could blink its eye. The 
boy promised to pay the gentleman for his hair cutting as 
soon as he could. I think these boys are not permitted to 
take pennies as they are taught to work and not ask for help, 
so it was a strict business loan. I think it costs five pennies 
for one-half a hair cut. The boys all seemed very happy 
and a great many of them are taken care of at this farm. 
It would have done your heart good to see them eat, that 
day. I peeked in at the window several times as I was in 
a hurry for them to get through in order to play some more 
with me. The dining-room windows were built just to 
accommodate little people, so I could see in and watch 
others eat. It is a pleasing sight when one is not hungry. 
Well ! when the ice-cream was brought on, you should have 
seen the little-half-hair-cut-chap’s eyes. They nearly popped 
out of his head. He raised up in his chair and looked 
around to see if the ice-cream was coming his way. I rather 


110 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


looked that way myself, for ice-cream is one of my favorites. 
He got some, but I did not. I just got a whiff of it once in a 
while as we played. But he was happy so it made no great 
difference to me after I lost sight of the ice-cream, for fun 
comes first on my list. 

A lady told my master the other day that I looked like 
and was marked the same as a famous English greyhound, 
named “Master Ma Graff”; that he had won many prizes 
in England. She said he was tan-colored, with white trim- 
mings just like me, so my picture was sent to England. If 
the owner of “Master Ma Graff” ever reads this book I 
ask him now to please send my mistress a picture of his dog. 
We may not have spelled the name correctly, so please un- 
derstand what dog we are asking about, and oblige St. Elmo. 


CHAPTER XXII 


I had another joke on a fellow the other day. I was 
walking along minding my own business, when suddenly 
there appeared, as if popping out of the ground, the queerest 
looking four-footed animal that I had ever cast my busy 
eyes upon. He stood 
about six feet from me 
(that is by my mis- 
tress’s tape-line, which 
stretches), and he stood 
as stiff as that wooden 
Indian. My first 
thought was that may- 
be he was a cigar-sign 
too ; then as my brain 
took a turn I recalled 
the Indian that was 
alive, so I thought I 
would take no chances, 
for which later I was 
quite thankful. I saw 
this stiff-legged beast wink one eye, then I knew he was very 
much alive. He appeared to be getting ready for an attack 
of some kind and I figured that I was the pleasant subject 
of his ire, as by this time he seemed to mean business, for he 
winked the other eye, and then both eyes. Presently when 
we had admired each other quite long enough, and as long 
as politeness would permit, he arose upon his last feet to a 
great height, and shaking his two hands, and tossing his 
haughty head, with one snort he sprang at me; but — 
something from within me gave me a gentle boost at the 

ill 



112 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


same time, which, with my athletic training, landed me on 
the spot where my enemy had stood, and when my remain- 
ing senses came back I saw the uninvited enemy on the spot 
where I had been standing, almost glued to the spot. It 
was the funniest sight that I had ever 
seen, and now that I can see the joke 
I laugh. Can you imagine a funnier 
sight than this mad, madder, maddest 
Billy Goat not finding me on the spot ? 
He aimed all right, and had I been 
glued there what would have become 
of me is for you to tell. Well! Billy 
was very much surprised, and I im- 
agine a little disappointed at not find- 
ing me. He smelt the ground, and 
then he scented the air (just as if I had 
been foolish enough to go up in the 
air), and finally he snorted so long that 
I really wondered how he could hold 
his breath all that time. I had no 
breath to spare as it was, and I was 
resting behind a bush and peeking out 
at him. My! I was never more tickled. 
when you see that He no doubt thought that I had melted 
his name looks away, tor he kept looking tor the grease- 
“ Billy Goat,” Run! spot, so I let him think that I had 
Run! Run! melted. It is not always wise to try to 

change another’s thoughts to one’s own. 
After he had settled the matter as to my disappearance, he 
shook himself, and walked away to find a pugilist more of 
his style. I giggled until my sides ached. My mistress 
came out and found me very tired; so she sat down and ex- 
plained goatology to me. She said that his name was Mr. 
William Goaty when he was refined, but that when he was 
a pugilist he was only Billy Goat, and that when you saw 
that his name looked ‘ 4 Billy Goat” to run! run! run! 




CHAPTER XXIII 


My ! I’m laughing yet ! What a funny little, old, dried- 
up fellow a monkey is. But a monkey does not look the 
same to my mistress I know, for she held one in her lap the 
other evening, and she was all togged up in a clean white 
dress. She made him climb the banister for a penny, and 
he took it in his shapely, left hand and with his right hand 
he took off his little red cap to my mistress and mumbled 
some Italian to me, which I could not understand. Well, 
that monkey could do everything. He took the prize away 
from “Dan,” in waltzing, for his tail being longer, he made 
more of a sweep in turning around. Then he had on a pair 
of green baggy pantaloons that looked as though they be- 
longed to his big brother, and on his tiny body he wore a red 
jacket trimmed in yellow, and a red cap with a blue border 
and a tiny black feather, signifying that he had “a feather 
in his cap,” for his ability to perform. 

While his master played the hand-organ he danced, 
shook hands, climbed trees, turned summersaults, and ate 
peanuts. He did have a wonderful amount of talent. My 
mistress told the man that the monkey was tired, so he let 
him rest, and we gave him a drink of water, for which the 
monkey thanked my mistress by taking off his cap, show- 
ing little boys and girls how to thank people for kindnesses 
shown to them. I was afraid my mistress was going to buy 
him, for she did not want the man to take him away. She 
has always said that she was going to have a lion and a 
monkey, and I heard my master say, ‘ 4 When your lion and 
your monkey come, I will go, ’ ’ and I am afraid that I shall 
go with him. I wonder whether he said that when my mis- 
tress bought me P 


113 


114 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


My mistress read a good article in the paper on the 
“Town Barn instead of the Hitching-post for Horses,” that 
the kind women of Momence, Illinois, had completed such a 
barn by the assistance of the farmers’ wives and daughters, 
and that the horses no longer will have to stand in the sun, 
and in the cold of the winters out of doors, as this large barn 
will accommodate all. I hope other places will follow suit, 
as this is a most humane act. Another thing that cities 
should have is a sufficient number of watering places 
along the streets for both animals and men. I noticed 
while in St. Louis that many large stone-bottom water- 
ing-basins were about the city and they looked as clean 
and as nice as the fountains and basins for gold-fish, and 
some were in the middle of the square. We have one at the 
entrance of Grand Boulevard in Chicago, but it is too high 
for dogs. We have often seen poor, stray little dogs try to 
reach up for water, so I hope that when other places for 
watering horses are being planned, they will be low enough 
for dogs and cats also ; then when all lost or stray dogs can 
get water, we shall not have mad dogs. You know how 
dreadful it is to be thirsty, and with the animals it is more 
pitiful. 

The birds need water in the summer more than they do 
in the winter, for then they can drink the melted snow. I 
wish that ladies would not wear the pretty birds upon their 
hats for show. It does seem wicked to kill the birds, or to 
kill anything just to beautify ourselves. Do not let any- 
body kill the birds about your town, for we need them all 
to help brighten the world. Remember that they sing 
for us songs of the happiness, the joy, and the bountiful 
goodness in all things bestowed upon us by our loving Crea- 
tor, and that He made all that is beautiful in this world to 
make us better, so that we must see the good in this life and 
not look for the bad, helping every one and everything that 
is in trouble. We keep a pan filled with clean water on 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


115 


our lawn for the birds and animals, and we put bread-crumbs 
out each day. It is a pleasure to see the birds enjoy the 
crumbs; the blue-birds, the robin redbreasts, the blue-jays, 
and other pretty birds, also the disliked little sparrow (but 
we like them, too), all feasting together at one board. Some- 
times we have quarrels to settle, but as a rule our large fam- 
ily agrees. My master says he is going to put up a sign in 
our yard for the birds to read, saying, “No fighting al- 
lowed on these premises. ” 


CHAPTER XXIV 


Oh dear! I am so extremely happy to-day. What do 
you think P I have found a real cousin, and I have just re- 



My Real Cousin “ Dan ” 

ceived his picture. He is very handsome as you can see, 
and very aristocratic looking. His society name is Master 
Daniel Gratiot, and he hails from St. Louis. He belongs 
to one of the oldest French families of that splendid city. 

116 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


117 


Of course lie has a long pedigree, so I am very proud to be- 
long to him. I’ll tell you how we are connected. Daniel’s 
masters and mistresses are cousins of my mistress, so you 
see that I am a direct cousin to Daniel. Now that I know 
him I shall call him by his familiarized name. I can spell 
this word, but I declare I cannot pronounce it, for my tongue 

gets tangled up. Let me hear you say it; I shall listen 

Now “Dan” should be very smart for he has nine in his 
family to teach him smartness. There is quite a partner- 
ship, he being divided into nine parts, while I am in only a 
three-party partnership, and most of the time a one part 
partnership affair. My mistress is going to St. Louis to 
see “Dan” and the “World’s Fair,” so when she returns 
you will hear more about this cousin of mine, and some in- 
teresting facts about this great “Fair.” How I wish I 
might go, but I have not been invited. I shall hope that 
they may need me at the “Fair” and that my mistress will 
send for me. This is May 15, 1904. I will close with this 
thought of the dog in general: Did you ever notice that 
dogs turn around several times before they lie down, and 
that they always mat down their beds ? Their ancestors in 
the wilds and jungles were obliged to walk around their 
beds and places to sleep, as the tall grass and shrub- 
bery made it hard to get a soft place to rest, so this habit 
has been handed down and is a dog’s own legacy. My mis- 
tress says that “the same traits that human beings have 
are handed down from generation to generation, and if we 
could only inherit all the good traits of our ancestors and 
leave all the bad ones undeveloped what fine specimens of 
men and women we should make, and what goodness we 
should possess. ’ ’ 


CHAPTER XXV 


Hello! Hello! boys and girls! I am home again from 
the wonderful “St. Louis World’s Fair,” and, indeed, it is 
wonderful. I shall do my best to describe a little of this 
great exhibition ; but to give you an exact description of its 
beauties and its art I must ask you to visit it yourselves as 
I did, for it is certainly beyond all pen and paper to picture 
this beautiful landscape. 

After my mistress and my mama had left for St. Louis 
I felt very lonely all day, although our faithful “Tenie” 
came over every noon and took me out for a walk and played 
with me. She was very kind and seemed to feel sorry that 
I had been left at home. My master got home from busi- 
ness at six o’clock each evening and cooked my supper for 
me on a gas-stove and took me for a walk, so that part of the 
day was happier. The good meat-market man and the 
good milk-man did not forget me, for each day they brought 
meat and milk to keep me alive while my unkind family 
was ‘ ‘ doing the Fair. ’ ’ My master was a long time cooking 
my meat at night, but I tried to be patient, for I felt sure that 
this was his first place as cook in a family; he seemed to be 
so very slow and awkward. He told some friends last night 
that he was not homesick until I went away, for then there 
was no one to talk to nor greet him at the door; so you see 
a dog is rather necessary in a family sometimes. How I 
laughed inside when a little fat messenger boy came puffing 
up to our door that Saturday evening with a telegram from 
St. Louis, which read, “Permit granted; if he can safely 
come, send Sunday morning, Caro.” That “he” was “me,” 
and I was just as tickled as that dog with two tails was. 
So, on Sunday morning off I started on the “Choo-choo” 

118 


DAVID R. FRANCIS. PRESIDENT 


WM H. THOMPSON Tfct.AiUKm 


Walter b. stevens. secretary 


WORLD'S FAIR. ST LOUIS 

1904 

LOUISIANA PURCHASE EXPOSITION 


DIVISION OF CONCESSIONS AND ADMISSIONS 

NORRIS B. GREGG, 

Director office of the director 


May 28, 1904. 


To the Gate Keepers:- 

i , St • Elmo , 

This will be your authority to admit the do^which will accompany 

Mrs. Caro Smith-Senour, the bearer of this permit. It will be presented 

on Monday, May 30th, for which date only it will be good. 


% 


A '*- c-kz 






Director of Concessions and Admissions* 


Form 68-1 M-1-08-P 


No.J?- 7 

St. Louis and Suburban Railway System. 

St. Louis, 


To Conductors • 


“ 2 ^ 190 



120 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


cars, two hundred and seventy-six miles, to meet my mis- 
tress and view the “World’s Fair.” My mistress and dear 
cousin 4 4 Bert” met me at the train. They had a special 
permit to go out to the train through the large gates so as 
to take me from the baggage-car, where I had spent a 
most delightful day watching the telegraph poles fly by and 
gazing out upon lovely pastures with cows, horses, pigs, 
and all sorts of four-footed animals enjoying themselves, 
eating nothing but grass. I was thankful that I was not 
forced to eat greens. At first I thought that everything 
and everybody was hustling along at a great rate, but later, 
when I was jerked from side to side, I decided that it was 
the big Iron Horse once more taking me away. I was 
very glad to see my mistress and made up my mind to watch 
her very closely. We stepped on a street-car and my mis- 
tress took out a piece of paper and showed it to the little 
big man with brass buttons on, who was boss of the car. 
After he read the paper he smiled on me and said, 4 4 Very 
well. ’ ’ Now maybe you know why he said it since you have 
read, on the preceding page my permit to ride on the street- 
cars. Well ! the kind man on the front platform, who was 
always turning a crank, gave us his chair to sit on, so we 
turned it over on its side and made out of one seat, three 
seats; in consequence, our cousin, my mistress, and I had a 
front seat all the way out to the place where we were going, 
while all the other poor passengers had to sit inside the 
car and did not have half so nice a view; but then we had 
a pass you know. I thought the Iron Horse was the 
swiftest flying machine in the world, but I struck one faster 
in the way of the 4 4 St. Louis and Suburban Railway 
System” cars. They are the busiest cars my family ever 
traveled on, but they are all right, I think. After a ride 
of about five miles, we reached our destination and we were 
welcomed warmly by the large family of cousins, that is, all 
but cousin 4 4 Dan . 9 9 He seemed a little cross at first, especially 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


121 


when his family made any fuss over me. I tried to keep 
away from them so as not to hurt his soft feelings, but he 
talked a good deal behind my back, and did not love his 
cousin St. Elmo as we had hoped that he would. Of course 
I did place his little nose out of joint, for his family wanted 
to make me welcome, which they all did, and they gave me 
fresh milk from their pretty cow and did all that they could 
to make me feel at home ; so I shall remember them all with 
the greatest of pleasure. Even dear cousin '‘Dan” com- 
menced to show that he would have liked me had I remained 
longer. Poor little ‘ 4 Dan ! 9 ’ he had received a severe cut 
upon his right shoulder-blade from a barbed-wire fence or 
something sharp, and he had to be bandaged up, so he had 
reason for not feeling amiable towards a big, strong fellow 
like me; then again, he might have felt a little ashamed to 
be dressed up in rags before his Chicago cousin. I know I 
often feel that way when I am togged up. My mistress 
loves 4 ‘ Danny’ ’ (that is her pet name for him; she always 
has to have a pet name for everything), and he seemed to 
like the name, for he really took possession of my mistress 
and went everywhere on the place with her. He liked to get 
up in her lap, too, and go to sleep. I envied him, for I am so 
big that only half of me can get on her lap at a time; so by 
the time that a half gets to sleep the half that is on the floor 
left over is awake. That is why I often envy small dogs. 
“Dan” had many smart tricks, and his waltzing around on 
his hind feet was marvelous to me. He steps around just as 
a person does in dancing. He was more willing to perform 
than I was, for every time that I started to do my tricks for 
the cousins and would start to count three, “Dan” would 
chip in and I would stop; so we had a hard time trying to 
see which one was the most talented. However, I “take 
off my hat to ‘Dan/ ” for he can spin around like a top in 
his waltzing, which I should never be able to do, for I 
should knock down all the bric-a-brac and lamps in the 


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MASTER ST. ELMO 


room. I should certainly need an acre lot to do my waltz- 
ing in. 

I found another cousin, “Billy Beck,” who had not been 
spoken of before by my mistress. She was given to the 
family five years ago by the groceryman; so they named her 
after him. She was a cute little kitten then, and the name 
just suited her. She still retains the name, and is as inde- 
pendent a cat as can be, and one that any dog might dread 
to encounter. She must have been very pretty in her early 
youth, but since the wars have been raging “Billy Beck” has 
lost a part of one ear and the end of her tail ; so she is a little 
lop-sided, you see. She is black as tar, and her only trick 
besides eating is to lie down and roll over when she is asked 
to do so. She usually does this with a squeak, for her voice is 
a worn-out soprano; still, we are delighted to own her as 
our cousin. She seemed to have the ways of all cats, for as 
soon as she would see me politely trying to talk with her, 
she would saucily frizz up her hair and spit at me three 
times. I found out that even “Billy Beck” could count 
three. 


CHAPTER XXVI 


After I had been inspected by all the relatives on that 
Sunday evening, I was sent to bed, and the next morning, 
upon my calling at the dining-room door for my breakfast, 
I learned that I was to attend the “World’s Fair” on that 
very day, Monday, and that I was to be very obedient, and 
that I should not be rude and poke my nose where I was not 
wanted (just as if dogs ever go where they are not wanted). 
So, after a good breakfast, my mistress put on my collar 
with a pretty assortment of colors, blue, red, white, and 
yellow ribbons, and I felt very proud, as these are the 
“World’s Fair” colors, also reminding me of our country’s 
colors, without the yellow. We walked two blocks to the 
entrance of the gate, and my mistress handed the keeper a 
slip of paper, which he read and politely smiled on me, for 
that was my special pass into the grounds. Now came a 
little difficulty. I had a pass, so I had to enter at a special 
turn-gate, and as my mistress was just an ordinary guest, 
she had to go in the general gate with my dear cousin 
“Bert,” who was our escort. But the difficulty was soon 
overcome by one of those small urchins who is always ready 
to “carry your grip, sir,” so, he wisely took hold of my 
chain and the gate-keeper passed me, not through, but under 
the turn-gate, as I was too long for the space between the 
gate-arms, and too tall to stand up and walk through, 
poor me had to get down and crawl under, not a very digni- 
fied way for a distinguished personage to enter so great a 
place. However, upon my return from the inspection of 
the grounds and the buildings, I was passed out through a 
private door, for, you see, the gate-keepers had all those 
six hours that I was inside to study out a way to make it 

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MASTER ST. ELMO 


more comfortable and dignified for me to pass out, and I 
really did appreciate their kindness. Another thing which 
we both liked was the polite treatment of the guards, who 
raised their hats to us, and sometimes patted me, for you 
know they all had been prepared as to my visit to the Fair, 
and smiled at the thought of a dog having a pass to view 
this great exposition. Another pleasing attention showed 
me was by the beautiful “Cascade” and fountains, which 
started to play just as soon as I arrived in front of them. I 
noticed all these marked attentions, and I feel sure that my 
fellow-comrades will rejoice with me that one of their na- 
tionality has been so honored. 

My mistress wrote the following chapter for my book, 
so I shall relate it as per her manuscript upon the great 
“World’s Fair” in St. Louis in 1904. 


% 

















































































• ✓ 


CHAPTER XXVII 

“the LOUISIANA PURCHASE EXPOSITION” 

The “World’s Fair” in St. Louis, 1904. 

[The beautiful “World’s Fair” pictures were presented to the author, 
and are used by the kind permission of the “Publicity Department” of 
the great “Louisiana Purchase Exposition” in St. Louis of 1904.] 

Through the courtesy of Hon. David R. Francis, the president 
of this great Exposition, and Mr. J. C. Thompson, Jr., private secre- 
tary to the president, also the “Louisiana Purchase Exposition Com- 
pany,” I have been granted permission to present to the children from 
a page in my book entitled “Master St. Elmo,” a fac-simile of the seal 
of the greatest of all expositions in the world. I consider this a great 
privilege, as this courtesy has never been extended to any one else, and 
I trust that all the children will appreciate with me this favor, and read 
up and study all about the “Louisiana Purchase,” so when they visit 
the beautiful “World’s Fair” in St. Louis, and gaze with admiring eyes 
upon the imposing monument, 100 feet high, with the crowning statue 
of “Peace” resting so gracefully against the blue sky, they will under- 
stand and feel the importance of this magnificent and gigantic undertak- 
ing, and the gathering together of people from all over the world. 

This seal has upon it the head of President Thomas Jefferson, also 
a fac-simile of his signature, and as he was the President of our Coun- 
try at the time that the famous “Louisiana Purchase” was made, it is 
a very appropriate seal, and I trust that each of my readers will under- 
stand why we, of all states in our Union, are so earnestly trying to 
make this great “World’s Fair” one of the noblest events in the annals 

of the United States of America. _ 

Caro Smith-Senour. 

The fascinating place around and in front of the “Cas- 
cades” is the most beautiful spot that I have ever seen. The 
water starts from a basin in the center of the magnificent 

127 


128 


MASTER ST. ELMO 



“Festival Hall,” and flows down wide steps with green glass 
across the front of each step, under which electric lights 
shine, so that at night the water looks as if it were falling 

over steps of beau- 
tiful green moss. 
The water falls into 
the “Grand Basin,” 
which is the largest 
lagoon in the 
“World’s Fair 
Grounds.” It was 
indeed a beautiful 
picture, with foun- 
tains sending up 
bubbles, and the 
wonderfully lighted 
“Electricity Build- 
ing” reflecting its 
hundreds of electric 
lights into the 
depths of the artis- 
tic lagoon, with the 
red-sashed “gondo- 
liers” plying the 
oars of their “gon- 
dolas,” keeping 
Louisiana Purchase Monument, time to the elegant 

World’s Fair, St. Louis music, and the little 

boats, in the form of 

“the swan,” beautiful in its whiteness and its graceful glid- 
ing, and the “dragon” launch, the bright-colored “peacock” 
launch, with its wide-spreading tail, so attractive with the 
electric lights thrown upon it. All this makes one sit and 
wonder if this is really all real, or if one is in dreamland. 
An evening with the stars above and the stars below, around, 



I 


4 


i 


Festival IIall and Cascade Gardens, World’s Fair, St. Louis 



































































































































































































MASTER ST. ELMO 


131 


and about the “Cascades and Hall of Festivals’ ’ is a picture 
never to be forgotten. It is stated that one million dollars 
was the cost of this great central spectacle known as “Cas- 
cade Gardens,” and it is said that the water is brought 
seven miles from the Mississippi River to supply the foun- 
tains and the lagoons and the “Grand Basin” in front of the 
imposing monument of the “Fair,” the “Louisiana Pur- 
chase Monument.” 

The Palace of Agriculture is indeed a fine building. It 
occupies more than eighteen acres, and is five hundred feet 
wide and one thousand six hundred feet long, with a cornice 
line fifty feet high, it being the largest exposition building ever 
erected for a single department. It has a conspicuous 
site, for, standing on the hill in the western part of the 
grounds, it looks down upon nearly all the other palatial 
buildings. This is a very interesting exhibit, comprising the 
needs of every boy and girl. The exhibits of corn are fine, 
as well as those of rice, sugar, beets, tobacco, etc., showing 
the varieties and best of each. The Missouri State exhibit 
is very fine, and the pictures portraying farm-life are so real 
that I shall try to describe two pictures to you, dear chil- 
dren. These are about forty feet long and twenty feet 
high, and are the largest grain pictures ever made. One 
of these pictures portrays a farm in Missouri with a wheat- 
field in which binders, made of wheat, are in operation. 
Then there is a pasture scene, with a herd of high-class cattle 
grazing near a stream. It is an ideal sketch. The cattle 
are made of corn-silk, cotton, and wool; the horns are made of 
corn-husks. The pasture is of real dried grass; the road of 
timothy seed; the fence of cornstalks. In the background 
the trees are of sorghum-heads, while those in the foreground 
are actual trees ; the meadow is of grass and the foreground is 
of wheat, with a miniature mower operating in front of the 
picture, with the grass falling in front and rising as it passes 
by. This wonderful painting (for in color blending and 


132 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


beauty it is as much a work of art as is a painting in oil) is 
made from nature’s own growth, and is one of the best 
studies of art that the great “Fair” gives to the lovers of art. 
It received one of the highest compliments which could be 
given to it. Some flying squirrels got out of their cages and 
took refuge in the trees, and built a nest in the fork of the 
front tree and made themselves a comfortable home, think- 
ing that they were back once more on the dear old farm. 
The nest you can see in the grain picture. When you stop 
to think that every bit of these tiny grasses is tacked or 
glued on this big board, and that it is done so neatly that 
you cannot see how it is put together, you will surely agree 
with me that this is a wonderful display of art. 

The second grain picture, quite as large as the first, is 
an accurate reproduction from a photograph, showing a six 
thousand acre corn-field, with cultivators to till one thou- 
sand acres of corn a day. I am told that this farmer raises 
more corn than nine whole states raise, and that this is the 
largest farm of its kind in the world. The picture is made 
about the same as the one described to you, and shows 
seventy-two men, seventy-two cultivators, and two hundred 
and sixteen horses and the owner, the gentleman who is 
eighty-one years old, in the foreground, all made of corn- 
silks, corn-shucks, and other materials, the products of the 
cornfield. It is said that when the owner viewed this 
picture, he could pick out each of his men and call him 
by name, the likeness was so nearly perfect. This picture 
was copied from a photograph, and the artist may well be 
proud of his splendid achievement. 

As a moral lesson, let me tell you about this able farmer, 
and see if you little children do not respect such a man. 
This gentleman, who is now the richest farmer in Atchison 
County, started life with one ox and a wooden plow. For 
the ox he owed, and the wooden plow he made himself. 
He persevered in growing corn and in raising cattle, until he 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


133 


has nobly come to the front as one of the largest producers 
in the world. He has founded and endowed a college, and 
to-day he is eighty-one years old, a highly respected citizen, 
independent and happy. 

The Palace of Art consists of pictures, statues, bronzes, 
and of the paintings of great artists, together with pictures 
formed of Japanese embroidery. Each country is splendidly 
represented in the art of her country, and the French pic- 
tures of great artists are very fine. (The xAmerican exhibit 
was not completed when I attended the “Fair,” so I shall not 
be able to tell you about it, but like all other American enter- 
prises, I am sure that it will be worthy of mention.) 

The Palace of Education contains everything pertaining 
to studies, books of all classes, exhibitions of the workman- 
ship of the children of the different schools, such as manual 
training, beadwork, basket-weaving, house-building, fancy 
work, dressmaking, drawings, painting, compositions, kinder- 
garten work, and all that comes in the line of education, and 
many of the exhibits are fine, showing what little, deft fingers 
can do by training them. No doubt that some of you, my 
readers, have contributed to this splendid exhibition. 

The Palace of Manufactures is a pleasing piece of ar- 
chitecture, and is the nearest building to the main gateway. 
It is entered under a grand triumphal arch. This structure 
contains all manner of dress goods, and great machines by 
which is shown the mode of manufacturing cotton, silk, and 
wool goods; also all styles of laces, bric-a-brac, jewelry, furni- 
ture, rugs, paper, buckles, buttons, shoes, clothing, and every- 
thing that is manufactured over all the world. The busy 
little Japanese have an extensive and most praiseworthy 
exhibit, having marvelous hand carving and inlaid work 
and beautiful vases. 

The Italian exhibit is also very fine, with its bronzes and 
marble statues. Other exhibits are worthy of praise, but 
my space is limited. 


134 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


The Palace of Machinery has many towers, and it is not 
only a handsome building, but also a useful one. The 
building contains the great power plant, and it is from this 
that all the power for lighting the buildings and pumping the 
water for the great Cascades is controlled. In this building 
may be seen all kinds of pumps, farming implements, and 
machinery used in every part of the world. 

The Palace of Horticulture is a neighbor of Agriculture, 
and in this splendid building may be seen all the palatable 
things one may wish to eat — delicious apples and fruits of 
all kinds ; also beautiful shrubbery, palms, and flowers. The 
large fruits of California, bottled for preservation, are most 
interesting to study. I forgot to tell you that in front of the 
Agricultural Palace is a large clock which lies flat upon the 
ground. The dial is made of flowers, and when the great 
hands point to the hour, a brass bell rings out the time of 
day; the bell is worked by machinery, and is very large, 
about the size of the famous “Liberty Bell.” 

The Government Fisheries Pavilion is a most interesting 
place to visit. All species of fish are there in glass aquariums 
alive and swimming about, and with the electric lights 
thrown upon the water; the fish look very pretty, as the dif- 
ferent colors show so well. In the center of this pavilion is 
a fountain where two seals enjoy themselves in the water, 
and bask in the sun on the rocks. Here you will find tiny 
fish and large fish. 

The Government Building is most attractive. The 
dome crowning it is gilded, and is ninety-three feet in diam- 
eter, with a magnificent group statue called “Liberty-a- 
Quadriga” surmounting it. This is the conventional style 
of adornment of the dome of such a building, but this quad- 
riga, as composed, is what might be termed an unconven- 
tional spirit. At any rate it has a certain dash and freedom, 
which, despite the adherence to traditional forms and sym- 
bols, give an impression of originality and strength. The 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


135 


central figure, the Goddess of Liberty, stands fourteen feet 
high in the chariot in which she is drawn by four colossal 
horses. She bears a torch in one hand and an eagle in the 
other. The horses are guided by two nude youths, twelve 


4ft W 



Statue on Government Building, “ Liberty-a-Quadriga ” 


feet high, whose figures express the vigor and energy of 
early manhood. 

The interior is free of columns. This great building con- 
tains the principal exhibits of the United States government. 
In it you will see a reproduction of our “Man of War” vessel, 
the “government mint,” represented in working order, 
cannons, guns, and everything pertaining to the army and 
the navy. 

I fear that I cannot do justice to the magnificent Palace 


136 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


of Electricity. It is, indeed, a palace, and fronting upon the 
“Grand Basin,” as it does, surrounded by lagoons and 
reached by artistic bridges, it is certainly one of the most 
fascinating and beautiful places that I have ever seen. 
Groups of columns are a striking feature of its several 
facades, and at night when it is sparkling with its hundreds 
of electric lights, it is a coronet excellent enough to crown any 
kingdom, the greatest of all, our own. 

I could write a book upon this splendid “Fair,” but as 
my space is limited I shall not be able to describe all the fine 
buildings, nor the plateau of states, as I should like to do. 
Therefore with a little description of the state represented, 
in which St. Elmo was born, I shall turn the rest of his book 
over to him. 

The commission of the Texas Building extended St. Elmo 
an invitation to register in his state, so, with his mistress’s 
assistance, he registered “Master St. Elmo, Chicago, 111., six 
years old, born in Texas, 1898.” 

The hostesses introduced him to the guests, and he was 
entertained with great respect. The Texas Building is 
built in the shape of a star, for, as you children know, that 
Texas is the “Lone Star” state. It is very beautiful. I 
should like to tell you all about the different state buildings, 
for they are all attractive. Each one is original and ap- 
propriate, so I am not partial towards the only state build- 
ing that I am writing about — but Texas happened to be the 
birthplace of the hero of this book. My greatest pleasure 
was in viewing the flags of all nations, and in feeling that 
this great undertaking had brought together all the peoples 
of the world in peaceful sympathy and love; and with our 
own beloved flag flying on every building, I thought that 
never had there been a more beautiful picture, nor a land- 
scape more picturesque than this land of little hills, with its 
natural scenery and artistic arrangement of palaces and 
lagoons. With the star-lighted canopy of blue overhead, 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


137 


and the star-lighted palaces at each side, I felt that fairyland 
had at last been found upon this earth. Of course you chil- 
dren have been taught in your schools what a “World’s 
Fair” is, and that it is to bring together all the peoples of 
the globe, showing their different products, industries, dress, 



Texas Building, in the Shape of a Star 


and customs. The oddest of these people are very splendidly 
represented on what is termed “The Pike,” in the grounds 
of the great “Fair.” This “Pike” is a wide street, about 
a mile long, on each side of which are buildings and 
reproductions of towns of foreign nations. For instance, 
there are before your eyes the “Streets of Cairo,” showing 
the Egyptians in native costume, with their camels bedecked 
and ready to take you for a ride. Some of these people are 
educated, and some can talk a little English, while all seem to 


138 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


know what money is, and look for compensation for every- 
thing that they do for you, even to posing for their pictures. 

Then you can enter the city of “Jerusalem” through a 
gate. This city is surrounded by a reproduction of the 
original walls of that ancient city, and the interior is built as 
was ancient Jerusalem, with the “Jaffa” gate, and the nar- 
row streets and the old places of abode which these people 
occupied. Jerusalem is not on “The Pike,” but off by itself 
in the grounds of the “Fair.” There are little shop windows, 
or booths, on the sides of the streets where you can purchase 
souvenirs of their handiwork. 

The “Filipino Village” is an interesting place to visit, 
especially at the time of the “drills,” when these courteous 
little dark-complexioned Filipinos perform a perfect and 
interesting drill, marching to the music of the band, com- 
posed of Filipinos who play upon American brass horns 
and instruments of music, directed by one of our American 
band masters, all attired in the United States army dress. 
We cannot but admire the willing, progressive boys who, 
in three years of kindness and education by our great 
United States, have proved suitable and faithful bearers of 
the glorious “Star-Spangled Banner,” which they cer- 
tainly feel proud to wave over their heads. This shows what 
education and civilization can do in three years. Of course 
the savage tribes called the “Igorotes” have not, as yet, been 
conquered, but there is a space allotted for these people. 
The “Igorotes” remind one of fine bronze statues, as their 
skin is polished and shaded so that they are really artistic 
from that point of view, with the exception of their faces. 
They wear no clothes — only a girdle — and it is said that they 
live on dog meat; but I trust now, that as we have them in 
this country, they will soon become a little more civilized. 
Their music is of the kind that makes you wish that you 
were deaf, and you are ready to pay them to stop. It sounds 
very much like that made by little white Indians when they 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


139 


are pounding on dishpans and all sorts of noisy things. 
These people live in bungalows with a kind of straw for the 
roof, and many of these buildings are now erected in the 
Filipino village. 

I trust that the “Humane Society” will prevent them 
from using dog meat in our country, for it is sad to think 
that man’s most faithful friend is slaughtered for food by 
savages. There are a great many things to see on the 
“Pike,” for there are amusements of all kinds to catch the 
pennies. Real live Indians, too, can be seen daily on dress 
parade. 

There is an Indian village on the Fair Grounds, and one 
can see the Indians living in wigwams, or tepees, and cooking 
their meals out of doors upon stoves made of stones. 

“The Pike” is the place to have fun, but the main “Fair,” 
with the beautiful buildings and magnificent architecture, 
with the lovely rolling grounds of its park, is a sight that I 
wish all children could see. 

The Indian school is a credit to our country, as it shows 
what we have done to better the Indians, some of whom 
seem willing to learn, and to live more like the white man. 
There are plenty of little pappooses, and they enjoy being 
carried around on their mother’s backs. Occasionally, how- 
ever, one sees a squaw carrying her pappoose on her arm, 
as a white mother does, and this looks strangely out of place. 


CHAPTER XXVIII 

BEAUTIFUL JIM KEY 

VALUED AT ONE MILLION DOLLARS 

It gives me great pleasure to introduce to my little read- 
ers, particularly those who have not been so fortunate as to 
make his acquaintance, this remarkable horse, “Jim Key,” 
who is counted among the wonders of these days of progress 
and education. I consider it a great privilege to tell the 
history of this famous horse, and to use his photograph, pre- 
sented to me by his present owner, Mr. A. R. Rogers, of 
New York City. Beautiful Jim Key is now thirteen years 
old, and is of a handsome mahogany-bay color, of the 
Arabian type, with a long black tail and mane. He has 
a thoughtful and knowing expression in his black eyes 
which speaks the kindness that he expresses by his belonging 
to the “Jim Key Band of Mercy.” This Band tries to ben- 
efit all animals, and surely “Jim Key” was sent here to help 
all his four-footed friends. You, little children, who read this, 
can each belong to this Band of Mercy if you will send your 
name to Mr. A. R. Rogers, 75 Maiden Lane, New York City, 
who is president of this band, or to Mr. George T. Angell, 
president of “The American Humane Education Society,” 
No. 19 Milk Street, Boston, Mass. The pledge to this Band 
is, “I will try to be kind to all harmless living creatures, and 
try to protect them from cruel usages.” If you will send 
your name on a slip of paper with this pledge written on it, 
with your address, it will be pasted on the great banner roll 
of “Jim Key Band of Mercy.” Thousands of adults, as 
well as 300,000 children, belong to this band now. The 
humane paper called “Our Dumb Animals,” is a splendid 

140 





Spelling “ St. Elmo ” at the “ World’s Fair,” St. Louis 














































MASTER ST. ELMO 


143 


journal for lovers of animals, and is but twenty-five cents a 
year. It is certainly helping a worthy cause. We all wish 
to do some good in this world, and by aiding the helpless 
animals we are surely doing a work of charity, as they can- 
not tell their troubles to us. In consequence, they are 
obliged to stand the hardships of life unless some kind person 
lends a helping hand. Beautiful Jim Key was born in Ten- 



nessee, and was faithfully cared for by his old master, Dr. 
William Key, who, although nearly seventy years old, still 
exhibits him. These two have been constant companions, 
and it is a touching sight to see the love between this good, 
kind gentleman and his trusting horse. “Jim” showed un- 
usual traits from the time that he was a colt, for he would 
follow his master around as a dog will do, and he was so 
curious to see and to know what everything was that he soon 
learned how to do many things. One of the first things that 
he learned, and he taught this to himself, was to unfasten 
the gate and let himself out in the road. His master began 


144 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


to teach him when he was one year old. To me he is a 
marvel of intellect, and I shall try to tell you, as accurately 
as possible, about his knowledge of school. 

First. Jim opens school, that is, he rings the bell for 
school to open. Jim goes to his little trunk and pushes up 
the cover with his nose, takes out two bells by the handles, 
and holding them tightly in his mouth, he shakes them while 
walking around the stage, and so he rings his class to order. 

Second. Jim picks out any letter of the alphabet, play- 
ing-card, or number asked for. On a tall rack behind him 
are alphabetically arranged all the letters on white paste- 
board cards, about the size of a playing card, with each letter 
printed in large black type; and when any one in the 
audience asks him for a letter, he walks to this rack and with 
his mouth gently takes the one asked for, and brings it right 
side up to the front of the stage. He likes applause; so one 
must always remember that and give him plenty of hand- 
clapping, as he deserves more than any two hands can 
give him. 

Third. Jim shows his proficiency in figuring, adding, 
multiplying, dividing, and subtracting in any numbers below 
thirty. This is really the most marvelous test of horse intel- 
lect that I ever have seen performed. The numbers are 
arranged on a rack in a similar way to the letters, beginning 
with No. 1, and all the numbers are in large, black type 
so they can be seen in the back of the room. You can give 
him any example you wish, using numbers that will not bring 
your answer above thirty, and he will surprise you by bring- 
ing to the front of the platform in his mouth the card on 
which is your answer, sometimes before you can ascer- 
tain it yourself. And he knows in a second that you cannot 
subtract a larger number from a smaller one, for he always 
shakes his head to signify that it cannot be done. I myself 
asked him to subtract four from three, and in an instant his 
head was shaking “No.” Again, I asked him to bring this 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


145 


answer, “two plus three, multiply by six,” and he brought 
out the number for the answer, thirty; and again, I said, “two 
plus three plus five plus eight,” and he returned to the front 
with eighteen. And one example, which a man gave him, 
had to be put down on paper before I could get the answer. 
Jim had it first, and it was this, and I am sure that any of you 
thirteen-year-old children will be obliged either to put the 
numbers down, or to go over them more than once. Just 
think of a horse’s figuring out this example : “Three times ten, 
divided by two, plus five, divided by two, minus ten,” and the 
fine calculator came to the front with zero card for his 
answer. Was he correct ? I attended three different days, 
and no two questions were given him the same, so I feel con- 
vinced that this wonderful horse has intellect which is be- 
yond animals. 

Fourth. Jim spells any ordinary name asked him. A 
long spindle, having a thin nickel rail with a slit along the 
top, is placed in the front of the platform, and names were 
given him to spell, such as chair, James, Carrie, and a hard 
name, “Carey,” which was a little boy’s name. When I 
heard the child sing out “Carey,” I myself wondered whether 
it was spelt with an “e” or whether it was “Cary”; but Jim 
knew at once, and went to the rack and brought each letter 
forward, one at a time, until he had the five letters. Then 
he stood still for the little boy to tell him whether he was 
correct, and he was; and you well know that it is not a com- 
mon name. I was really surprised and delighted. 

Fifth. He reads and writes. 

Sixth. Jim goes to the postoffice, gets the mail from any 
box requested, and files the letter in a regular letter-file under 
any letter asked him. This is a wonderful piece of calcula- 
tion also. A letter section is arranged with numbers on, 
and letters of the alphabet are on the lower edges of each 
pigeon-hole which contains mail. When you ask him to get 
your mail from “M” box, he takes the letter with his mouth 


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MASTER ST. ELMO 


out of the place, and walks across the stage and lays the 
letter upon the shelf of his desk or letter-file, and waits until 
he is told where to file it; then he pulls out the drawer and 
takes up the letter, drops it in the drawer and closes it, 
and after he has answered as many of these requests as you 
wish, he pulls down the outside cover of the tier of files, 
which closes up his desk for that performance. 

Seventh. Jim distinguishes various pieces of money, and 
goes to a cash register and rings up any amount asked for, 
bringing the correct change. Now, this is another mark of 
his great knowledge. If you ask him to get a dollar bill, he 
goes to the register, pulls open the drawer, and takes out the 
dollar bill, or he will bring a silver dollar, a half-dollar,, 
quarter, or even a nickel out of his register, and when he 
comes to the front of the stage he holds the money between 
his handsome teeth, and grins so that you can see the money ; 
and his master will say, “Grin, Jim,” and Jim really grins. 

Eighth. Gives quotations from the Bible, where the 
horse is mentioned, giving chapter and verse. This he does 
by choosing from his assortment of names on the racks the 
exact one which corresponds with the Bible. 

Tenth. Uses the telephone. The telephone is on the 
wall, and he walks up to it, takes the handle in his mouth, 
and turns the handle around so that you can hear the bell 
ring, then he places his mouth to the mouth-piece, and his 
master takes the receiver and holds it to his ear. When his 
master says “good-by” Jim goes back to his place, always 
facing the audience. 

Eleventh. Jim takes a silver dollar from the bottom of a 
glass jar filled with water, without drinking a drop. (Con- 
sidered one of the greatest feats ever performed by an 
animal.) This glass jar holds about five gallons of water, 
and you can see Jim through the glass picking up the silver 
dollar, never sipping a drop. When he holds it up to you 
and grins, his face is wet and the water drips down, so he 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


147 


goes to his little trunk, lifts up the lid with his nose, and takes 
out a fringed towel, which he gives to his master for him to 
wipe his face, after which he returns the towel to his trunk, 
and tucks in all the fringe. He has so many friends among 
the ladies and children that sugar and towels and apples are 
sent him as presents, and one lady sent him some fringed 
towels tied together with ribbons and embroidered with his 
name in one corner. Jim is very fond of sugar in the little 
cubes, and after each answer he receives a piece, for which 
he is always ready, looking sidewise for his reward. I 
could tell you some other lessons, but I think when dear Jim 
does all these that he is busy enough. I hope that after the 
little readers have become acquainted with this wonderful 
horse, they will think of him always, and help all poor ani- 
mals who are in need of homes and kind treatment, and 
above all report all cases which they may see of abuse of 
horses, either by whipping them or by making them draw 
overloaded wagons. And try to keep water in your yards 
for the dogs, cats, and birds, and do what you can to have 
watering-places for horses in the streets. All this will help 
“Beautiful Jim Key” in his work of befriending animals, 
and please remember that this educated horse was taught 
by kindness . There is a little book of his life and how he 
was taught, which one can buy for fifteen cents by sending 
to Mr. A. R. Rogers, 75 Maiden Lane, New York City. 

Long live “Beautiful Jim Key.” 


Caro Senour. 


CHAPTER XXIX 


Now, I am going to talk again, for my mistress, like all 
the ladies, never knows when to stop talking, and when she 
gets started on the animal question some one has to say 
“mouse." Well, my family says if my mistress had re- 
mained at the “World's Fair" much longer, she would either 
have eloped with “Beautiful Jim Key" or have joined his 
performances, as she said she would go to see him every 
day, and would spend all her money on his exhibitions, for 
she always learned something from him. She went up to 
him and put her arms around his neck and kissed him 
five times, and Jim seemed to like it. He is as glossy as a 
piece of satin, and I do not feel a bit jealous because my 
mistress admires him so much. He is a noble horse, and 
I, with my mistress, love and respect “Beautiful Jim Key." 

Now that my mistress has told you her side of the great 
World’s Fair Exposition, I shall give you the funny side of 
it, which always interests me, as I am a good fellow to see a 
joke. I wondered why my mistress and my cousin “Bert" 
kept the “Pike" visit for the last, but after I had been on 
the “Pike" for five minutes I understood, for, after you once 
land there, it is almost impossible to get away, as there are 
so very many curious people and things to see. 

The music of the “Streets of Cairo" was maddening to 
most people, but I enjoyed it so much that I went right up 
to the funny drum and wanted to investigate it, which made 
the men of Egypt laugh while they tried to blow their horns, 
and the louder the noise the more fun I had. The man at 
the door invited me in, and I was about to accept his invita- 
tion when I peeped through the big gateway and saw a moun- 
tain raising itself out of the ground, which made me look up 

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MASTER ST. ELMO 


149 


so high that it tired my neck; so I backed out, and after two or 
three of these four-footed mountains with sharp peaks arose, 
I saw that each one had four feet, one long neck, and a 
wiggling head. Then the man said, “Come and ride the 
camel/ ’ and I finally grasped the idea, and felt ashamed 
that I had not recognized one of my four-footed “national- 
ities/’ We thanked him and passed on. We took a picture 
of the big seven-foot Arab on his camel; and the camel was 
like me, it being so long that its head could not get on the 
plate, so I am sorry not to be able to show you the picture, 
but he did have a head. But my ! if I just had its long neck, 
couldn’t I see everything ? You see, we are different, that 
is, a camel has a long neck and short tail, and I have a long 
tail and short neck, so it is not evenly divided. I was sorry 
that “Dan” was not with me, but inasmuch as the “Fair” is 
closed to dogs, he has been able only to peek through the 
high fence and has missed lots of fun. Just think, poor 
“Klondyke” can’t see the “Pike” either, and it is a great 
neglect in one’s education not to “do the Pike.” 

The next funny thing that we witnessed was performed 
by a real live Indian, dressed up in blankets, feathers, and 
all color complexion washes. He certainly had just been 
to a “beauty parlor.” Well, he was a picture, and I was 
thankful that he was not my master. He was a monster, 
and when I first gazed upon him he was bending over a 
letter-box, holding a letter in his right hand and his blanket 
tightly grasped in his left hand. He was looking for the 
place in which to put the letter, and it was a sight to see his 
frozen face change when my cousin “Bert” opened the lift for 
him and showed him how to post his letter. But the “smile 
that won’t come off ” was certainly fastened to his face, and 
I feared that I had lost my dear cousin “Bert,” for the Indian 
seemed perfectly fascinated with her, and her ability to open 
that letter-box. 

After this we went again to see “Beautiful Jim Key,” 


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MASTER ST. ELMO 


and I was “passed in” there and invited to take a front seat, 
and see the wonderful horse. I sat on a chair, and was very 
much interested in his school training, but I think, to tell the 
truth, that I was more interested in the sugar that was given 
him after each answer. I did lie down on the floor a while 
when he was doing the fine spelling, which is beyond my 
education, but the ringing of the bells and the telephoning, 
also the fishing in the glass jar for the silver dollar and the 
wiping of his face with a fringed towel, then putting the 
towel away in his little trunk, all this really puzzled me, and 
I remained quiet all through the entertainment. I want to 
tell you here that during all those six hours at “The Fair” 
I never barked or growled once, but there were many things 
which I was anxious to express my feelings about, but I re- 
membered my lecture in the morning before coming, and 
I wanted to be invited again, so I was good. I was a little 
bit afraid of a peculiar looking man who stood in front of 
this place and attracted the crowds, for he was dressed in 
loose white and red humpty-dumpty clothes with a tiny hat 
on one side of his head. He made me shake until I found 
out he was just in play, and that his business name was 
“Clown.” 

I think that I enjoyed the ride around the grounds on the 
“Intramural” electric railroad about the best, for I saw all 
the buildings and the grounds, and I had a whole seat to my- 
self and a large open window to look through, so that was 
solid comfort. The Indians were preparing their supper 
out of doors, and the pappooses were strapped to their 
mothers’ backs, and some, large enough to walk around, 
were playing, and were not overburdened with clothes. I 
saw one little fellow run up and knock his friend down with 
his fist, and the “downed” fellow returned the compliment 
by picking up his mother’s wooden ladle and gently landing 
it upon his companion’s head. His mother rushed out and 
picked up her ladle from the dirt, spanked her darling with 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


151 


it, then placed it in the kettle to dish out the soup. It is 
convenient for the mothers to be able to use one utensil for 
all the necessities of the camp, and as they have no slippers, 
as our mamas have, a spoon is very handy. 

The little savage Filipinos are rather fascinating little 
children to watch. They are dark in color, with black 
woolly (I should say naturally curly) hair, standing up 
bushy all around their little black faces. My mistress tried 
for fifteen minutes to get a snap-shot at them, but the cun- 
ning little chaps would hide as soon as she would lift the 
kodak, and peep out from around the corner of their bunga- 
lows. 

Another good exhibition on the 4 4 Pike ’ ’ is the 4 4 trained 
animals” exhibit. These animals are all wonderfully 
trained, such as the seals, lions, tigers, and other wild ani- 
mals. The seals really perform extraordinary feats. They 
play on brass instruments, such as cymbals, and beat the 
drums, and balance balls upon their noses, and do many 
clever tricks, and they seem very willing to perform. 

The wild animals in the cages do fine tricks. This is 
just the place for children to enjoy themselves. 

I could tell you many other good things at this exhibi- 
tion, but time and space prevent. However, I must say in 
closing this chapter that my family thinks the “World’s 
Fair” at St. Louis a great success, and a beautiful picture 
never to be forgotten. For myself I thank all the kind 
people of that hospitable city who added so greatly to my 
happiness and who have contributed so much interesting 
matter for my book. I wish this great exposition every pos- 
sible success, and I say, 4 4 Long live dear, old St. Louis. 


CHAPTER XXX 


I suppose you boys have wondered whether I have a 
“pedigree.” Well, I have a pedigree, and one that I am 
very proud of, and that pedigree is the honor of being born 
in the United States of America; and that is a pedigree 
worthy to possess. Well! I have a “dog-pedigree” in the 
“Lone Star” state, and we could get it of course, but my 
mistress says that I am not a 4 4 dog-show-dog , 5 5 and that I 
require no outline as to my ancestors for I am her pet and 
not her “show-dog,” and what I do to please the children 
I do for love. My mistress also says that my ancestors 
were of course English, but that all my ancestral country is 
lost track of in my American democratic life and ways. I 
am an American, and that is all any true American need say. 

I hope you will not think it egotistical in me to say so 
here, but my mistress told some friends the other day that 
after all the courtesies and honors shown St. Elmo, he is the 
same sweet, kind dog to the poor forlorn dogs and children 
as he was when a little Kansas “bow-wow.” I merely tell 
you this to say that whatever our advantages are over others 
we should always remember to be natural, never to show our 
superior position, and in this way we shall be loved and 
shall make others happy. 

I thank my little readers for their kind attention, and 
sincerely hope that I have made some sweet little child 
happy by giving to him or to her the true happenings of my 
short life, and if I have done any good by writing this book 
in behalf of my animal kingdom, my mission will have been 
fulfilled; and once more I wish to ask you all to remember 
my motto, then I shall say good-by to my dear little 
friends. 


152 


MASTER ST. ELMO 


153 


By being kind to all animals, and by protecting horses 
and dogs, you are befriending man’s best and most faithful 
friends.” Trustingly yours, 

St. Elmo. 



My Playthings 










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OCT 17 1904 




